Sunken Truths
by Wilshards
Summary: My version of Season 8. Discovering a strange and relatively recent pattern of disappearances and unlikely coincidences linked to the Miami Metro Police Department, FBI Special Agent Pelle Cophs, a ruthless investigator, eventually comes to suspect that there was a lot more to the Bay Harbor Butcher case. Is this the end at last? WARNING: Contains major spoilers from all 7 seasons.
1. Throw the Rock and Hide Your Hand

_**Disclaimer:**_

1. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners (Showtime, Jeff Lindsay). The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

2. All characters, events etc. portrayed in this story are fictional and any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental. Also locations, legal procedures etc. described in this story are not necessarily factually accurate neither are they intended to be.

3. Does not follow the real Season 8 story. This fan fic was completed before the release of Season 8 (9th of June, 2013) and so will only be mildly influenced by it (by the trailers which everyone has seen already). If by some strange turn of events some things do happen as described here, it is purely coincidental.

4. If you see anything you think if out of place, let me know. The story won't change but there may be minor corrections and additions.

5. The "Reviews" page may contain spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.

6. As of 20th August, 2013 the story has been renamed (again) to "Sunken Truths". There is a sequel planned as well.

* * *

_"We all make rules for ourselves. It's these rules that help define who we are. So when we break those rules we risk losing ourselves, becoming something unknown. Who is Deb now? Who am I? Is this a new beginning, or the beginning of the end?"_ - Dexter Morgan

* * *

Hello, it's me, Dexter Morgan. It's the 3rd of January, 2012 and three days ago I made the third biggest mistake of my life. Wanna know the top two? The first was letting my wife Rita die. Though I thought I had no real conscience and half of my life was fake, I really loved her, and even if I didn't, I had certainly convinced myself that I did. Perhaps none of what is happening today would be a problem to begin with had I not failed to protect her. I dreamed of being freed of my urge to kill, I thought Trinity would be the last on the table and I'd put it all behind. My Dark whatever... There is no Dark Passenger. It's just me. I thought being close to my family would cleanse me. That being a family man would drive the urge away, grow some kind of humanity within me instead. Well... Trinity murdered Rita... and I took out my anger on an innocent man.

My second mistake was actually getting caught by my sister Debra murdering someone. It changed her... a lot... the change that culminated with her murdering her own boss, Maria LaGuerta, the innocent Police Captain who had gotten too close to the truth. I wanted to kill LaGuerta myself but somehow things didn't turn out that way. That was my third biggest mistake, allowing Debra to fully lose her innocence, to become born in blood... like me. I keep trying to rationalize that maybe LaGuerta deserved it. After all, countless other lives are saved because of me, and she tried to interfere with it, she even let a dangerous man loose to do it. Well, it doesn't work. It didn't work with Sergeant James Doakes or Ellen Wolf and it doesn't work with Maria LaGuerta.

For the past three days Debra is refusing to answer my calls or talk to me... perhaps that changes today.

I knock on her door, she allows me inside but there's utter silence from her. Not even a simple hello.

**3rd January 2012**  
**Debra's Home**  
**4:23 PM**

**Dexter**: "Deb?" there is no response from her. We barely exchanged a word in the past three days and only now has she reluctantly agreed to allow me into her home once again.  
**Dexter**: "Deb! You have been sitting in that same couch for three hours now, staring at the wall, please... just snap out of it."  
Debra turns her look to me with a heavy frown on her face.  
**Debra**: "Snap out of it? Dexter, how the fuck do I snap out of being an accomplice to one of the most prolific serial killers in history? The bad guys... I get it, but this..."  
**Dexter**: "What do you mean?"  
Debra becomes hysterical.  
**Debra**: "You know exactly what I mean you heartless bastard." she breaks out in tears "James Doakes, Rita Morgan, Louis Greene, Maria LaGuerta, all of them were innocent people and God knows how many more innocents have died directly or... indirectly, either because of your fucked up 'hobby' or just so you wouldn't get exposed to the rest of the world for the psychopath you really are."  
**Dexter**: "Deb..."  
**Debra**: "And to make matters worse, you've dragged me into this, I'm the fucking Lieutenant of Homicide and yet my hands are stained with blood that I'll never wash off. I've spent my whole adult life building a career as an honest cop and you've managed to destroy that in less than two months. I should have turned you in the minute you..." I interrupt her.  
**Dexter**: "Deb! First of all, you're still on the force, second, I did not kill Doakes, I was even contemplating turning myself in when Lila found out and got rid of him..."  
**Debra**: "To protect you."  
**Dexter**: "Sure but, have you forgotten how bad the men and women on my table were? Mike Donovan the child molester and murderer, you weren't even close to catching him. Arthur Mitchell, The Trinity Killer, I found him in a matter of days when the FBI couldn't in 30 years. He killed hundreds and would have killed again."  
**Debra**: "Oh, so those innocents are just fucking statistics to you? How many innocent lives saved was Rita worth? 10? 20? 50?"

I didn't know what to reply. I opened my mouth but no words came out. I do remember Doakes' exact words 5 years ago:

_**Doakes**__: "Sooner or later, you'll hurt someone else. I'm talking about your sister or your girlfriend or even those kids."_  
_**Dexter**__: "I would never…"_  
_**Doakes**__: "No, not on purpose, but you can't control the shit that's growing inside of you. It's like cancer."_

**Debra**: "Thought so..."  
**Dexter**: "Deb, Louis Greene died because he trespassed on my boat and Isaac found him there, I warned Louis to never touch my things. And LaGuerta was going to put us both away, she had warrants to obtain the GPS data on our phones and place us at Travis Marshall's murder, that plus the footage from the gas station. Besides, you were the one who pulled the trigger on LaGuerta!"  
Debra slaps me.  
**Debra**: "Don't remind me. Ever. Any minute now someone will probably find the bodies and we'll be called in, I hope for your sake, and mine, they pin it on Estrada."  
**Dexter**: "Look, we went through this, I couldn't just get rid of LaGuerta's body, after that stunt she pulled at the station, accusing me in front of everyone of being the Bay Harbor Butcher, it would have looked too suspicious. And I couldn't let her live either so this is our best chance to end this."  
**Debra**: "And then there's Hannah fucking McKay on the loose. Fuck!"  
**Dexter**: "I know, I realized she had broken out when I found that plant in front of my doorstep on New Year's Day. Don't worry about her for now. She loves me too much to kill me and she knows that if anything happens to you, there's no turning back."  
**Debra**: "Holy Christ, Dexter, you really can't get over that killer bitch, can you?"

Several hours later...

Debra's cell phone is ringing.

**Debra**: "Yes? ... LaGuerta? ... Fuck! Yes, we'll be right there, sir." Debra ends the call.  
**Dexter**: "They found LaGuerta?"  
**Debra**: "That would be an understatement, we've stirred up a fucking hornet's nest, Dex. The commissioner, the news, the IA, fuck, everyone is there and this is going to get ugly. This is no ordinary murder, this is the Captain of Miami Metro remember?"  
**Dexter**: "I'll probably be getting a call soon as well, we should get going."  
**Debra**: "You better hope they don't find evidence linking us to it. You didn't take any fucking blood slides from LaGuerta too did you?"  
**Dexter**: "Ha ha! Very funny, Deb..." not really.

* * *

**3rd January 2012**  
**Miami Docks**  
**8:41 PM**

I get out of the car with Debra by my side. Police cars all around the scene, the flashing lights, the sounds of photographs being taken from the crime scene, curious civilians and a horde of even more curious reporters getting restless. Wouldn't be the first time I was called to investigate my own crime scene. Thomas Matthews is here too and most likely will be taking LaGuerta's place as Captain. Angel Batista is also here.

**Matthews**: "Dexter, Debra, they're waiting for you in that container over there. Don't worry about the car, Masuka already checked it out and it's clean."  
**Dexter**: "What happened exactly?"  
**Matthews**: "That's where you come in. Masuka is already in there waiting for you. We found LaGuerta dead, shot along with Hector Estrada and by the looks of it there was a shooting between the two. Well, there goes LaGuerta's crazy conspiracy theory about you chopping up Estrada, putting him in garbage bags and dumping him in the ocean, eh?"  
**Dexter**: "Guess so."  
**Matthews**: "Oh, and you might want to put on that suit over there. They've been dead for a while."  
**Dexter**: "Will do."

**Angel**: "Hey Dexter."  
**Dexter**: "Hi Angel, is that your..." I notice he still has a badge and gun.  
**Angel**: "Dexter, I... after what happened to Maria, I changed my mind about retiring, look I know you two have had your differences but please find out what happened in there, por favor. Do what you do best." Ironic, given that what I do best is kill people and cover my tracks.

I go inside, Matthews, Debra, Angel and the others follow.

**Masuka**: "Finally, you're here. Okay we got two bodies, one is LaGuerta, the other is Hector Estrada and by the state these bodies are, it's clear that they died almost at the exact same time..."  
**Dexter**: "Any estimate on the time of death?" I ask.  
**Masuka**: "About three days ago, give or take."  
**Matthews**: "We know for a fact that LaGuerta was last seen alive on the 31st of December 2011, and we know that several people tried to reach her on the 1st of January but couldn't get ahold of her. Plus, her mobile phone was filled with unread messages wishing her a happy new year. This almost certainly occurred on New Year's Eve."  
**Masuka**: "Yeah... I agree."  
**Matthews**: "We also know from looking into Estrada's mobile phone, that he made a phone call to LaGuerta at 10:54 PM, New Year's Eve, though there are no records of the content of that call. It's clear that this was no random encounter. They had met before and were meeting again for some purpose."  
**Angel**: "Shit! I should have known something was not right. Maria never made it to my party."  
**Dexter**: "Any witnesses?" Please say no.  
**Matthews**: "No." Finally some good news. "Nobody saw or heard a damn thing, or at least nobody who did has come forward yet. There are no security cameras either. You better make use of what you can find in here."  
**Masuka**: "So Dexter, what do you make of this?"

I pause for moment, pretend to examine the scene in detail. After a few minutes, I begin a detailed reconstruction to suit my narrative.

**Dexter**: "Okay, the victims both have one gunshot wound to their chests. The bloodstains are consistent with that. Estrada appears to have been shot at close range due to some of the residue on his shirt, while LaGuerta was shot at a slightly longer range. There's a lot more blood coming from Estrada which is consistent with a gunshot wound straight to the heart, while LaGuerta was shot in the..."  
**Masuka**: "Boob?"  
**Angel**: "Hey!"  
**Debra**: "Not fucking funny, Masuka."  
**Dexter**: "Lung."  
**Matthews**: "So, let's cut to the chase, what do you think happened here, Dexter? Can we hear one of your brilliant reconstructions, your colleagues tell me you're pretty good at this?"  
**Dexter**: "Well judging by the positioning of the victims" which I had changed, "the bloodstains" which I manipulated as much as possible "most likely LaGuerta and Estrada had some kind of... argument in this container. There's no evidence of a third person being here so far." because I took care to remove Debra's shell casing "Estrada was heading out of the container when he turned around and shot LaGuerta in the chest. Not certain of her death, he came closer to examine it."  
**Matthews**: "So why not just shoot her again to be certain?"  
**Dexter**: "Criminals, even hardened murdering mob bosses like Estrada, usually have a certain amount of hesitation when it comes to killing law enforcement. They know there's a death penalty for it in Florida, plus Estrada was on parole, last chance to lead a free life. The first shot was probably on impulse."  
**Matthews**: "And?"  
**Dexter**: "Well the wound was definitely fatal, but with her remaining strength it looks like she raised her gun and shot Estrada right in the heart. He died instantly and LaGuerta soon after."  
**Matthews**: "Hmmm... Masuka, what's your take on this?"

Masuka pauses for a second and doesn't reply immediately. Please say yes so we can end this.

**Masuka**: "Yes, that's what I thought as well. I agree completely with Dexter's narrative."

I notice a slight change in Debra's facial expression. A sign of relief.

**Masuka**: "I'm sure the coroner will have more details. Let's just bag all the evidence and be done with it."  
**Matthews**: "I'm going outside for a minute to give a statement to the press. Dexter, I need to have a word with you after this as well."

A word? In private? Is Matthews having a change of heart? Is he beginning to suspect that I might have had something to do with this? Is Masuka just playing along to trap me? In moments of uncertainty such as these the mind can only concentrate on the worst possible scenario. In a few moments I will find out.

A few minutes later...

**Dexter**: "Sir?"  
**Matthews**: "Dexter... I know they say it's not right to speak ill of the dead, but, you wanna know what I think about all this mess?" That I'm the real Bay Harbor Butcher and that I framed another dead person to cover my tracks, using my expertise in forensics?  
**Dexter**: "What, sir?"  
**Matthews**: "For God's sake Dexter, just call me Tom, anyway, Maria LaGuerta was a reckless woman, her feelings for Doakes got to her. I warned her to let it go, I even helped her find definitive proof that Doakes was the Bay Harbor Butcher, but that just wasn't enough. So she came up with this crazy plan to push for the release of Hector Estrada, the man responsible for killing your mother, hoping to catch you in the act."  
**Dexter**: "Well, I didn't kill him."  
**Matthews**: "Of course not, it's clear that when her plan failed and as Estrada remained alive, she grew desperate. In fact I'm convinced she planted that bloodied shirt in the trash can along with the wallet so she could have an excuse to bring you in. She was stupid enough to leave a partial print on the wallet and even more stupid to think we wouldn't figure out that shirt was decades old and taken from the evidence lockup. For God's sake, we have the catalog, she was definitely snooping around in evidence the day before your arrest but you weren't on that list."

Luckily, she was and I took advantage of this. Matthews doesn't realize that I can frame a frame job.

**Matthews**: "Well, there's a lesson to be learned here, Dexter. Never trust, rely on or get involved with a dangerous ex-con. No exceptions." Would that include Hannah McKay? "LaGuerta played with fire and got burned. What's really sad is that all of this started from the discovery of a blood slide found at Travis Marshall's hideout, the day he killed himself."  
**Dexter**: "You think Travis Marshall was the Bay Harbor Butcher and that he was somehow his own last victim? Aware his own hypocrisy and killing himself for it?"  
**Matthews**: "Of course not, what a ludicrous idea, he was probably just copying Doakes' style, just because we didn't release that information to the press doesn't mean it's not going to be found. There were plenty of other details that we didn't release and yet others found out about it. Why would it be any different with a blood slide?"  
**Dexter**: "So, Tom, what happens now?"  
**Matthews**: "Well Internal Affairs were already aware of LaGuerta's misconduct and this sudden death peaked their interest, they'll be waiting for a conclusive report from the coroner. If what you and Masuka discovered is accurate, the case will be closed with Hector Estrada as the murderer of Maria LaGuerta. If there's more to it, Internal Affairs are going to be breathing down our necks for months to come and treating all of us as potential suspects. As for me, I've been reinstated into the police force, no, I won't be Deputy Chief as before, I'll be replacing LaGuerta as Captain of Miami Metro, at least until I can retire properly with a full pension. Sergeant Batista has also had a change of heart about retiring, so he'll be around for a little longer as well."


	2. Forensics Never Lie

**5th January 2012**  
**Miami Metro Police Department, Homicide**  
**9:47 AM**

That morning I was in my lab, examining evidence from another case, waiting for some good news, that the LaGuerta murder case was closed and that me and Deb could finally move on with our lives...

Matthews calls everyone in the briefing room to make an important announcement.

**Matthews**: "Alright, people, today I've just received the coroner's report on the autopsy of Estrada and LaGuerta as well as a letter from IA. New evidence has been uncovered during the autopsy which we could not have previously been aware of."

It's comforting to know that the professionalism and, most importantly, the sincerity of my report isn't put into question... yet. After all, Masuka backed my theory.

**Matthews**: "The report concludes that there must have been at least one other person involved and that there is clear proof of tampering with the evidence, or as some people call it counter-forensics, to make it look like a simple shooting between two people. My guess is that Estrada had an accomplice, possibly a friend or a hired thug, who's now trying to cover up his involvement..."

An accomplice? I could handle that, plant some more evidence to incriminate one of Estrada's thugs, unless...

**Matthews**: "This is way above us however, due to the high profile nature of this case we will not be directly involved in this investigation any further. The Commissioner has requested the involvement of the FBI, they will be conducting the investigation under the lead of Special Agent Pelle Cophs. He has worked closely with Frank Lundy in the past on other high profile cases that have yielded successful convictions so he's no amateur. We'll be expected to cooperate with him fully."

The FBI? Again? When will this cycle end? Am I doomed to perpetually have to cover my tracks from a never-ending series of investigations? Will this man too end up on my table only to be replaced by someone else? A half an hour later we finally meet the man who would be my new adversary.

**Matthews**: "Everyone, meet Special Agent Pelle Cophs."

I look towards an average looking male in his early 40s, black suit with a tie, and a plain emotionless, expressionless face. I would soon realize that he is a worthy adversary.

**Pelle** **Cophs**: "Hello, I'm Special Agent Pelle Cophs of the FBI and I will be investigating the deaths of Hector Estrada and Maria LaGuerta. Now, one thing I've learned from working with Special Agent Frank Lundy, which I know most of you are familiar with, is to never take anything at face value. Many times in the past, my investigation into seemingly banal cases have uncovered much larger conspiracies. To get to the bottom of this I will be looking closely into the final days of Hector Estrada and Maria LaGuerta. This department will not be directly involved in the investigation, however you will give me your full cooperation. You will not withhold a single piece of information from me. Any questions?"  
**Angel**: "Me!"  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "Go ahead, Sergeant Batista."  
**Angel**: "What? You know my...? Nevermind. Were you involved with Agent Lundy in the Bay Harbor Butcher and Trinity Killer investigations?"

Again Pelle replied with that same blank expression.

**Pelle** **Cophs**: "No, I was not involved in those particular cases, but I have been involved in high profile and large-scale investigations such as the Johnson Chicago Wire Fraud in 2003, the Dearborn Quality Assurance Scam in 2001, the Hollywood Snuff Directors in 2005 and the fraudulent Jenkins Auto Bailout in 2007. Well, I hope that answers your question, I will be in the next room, alone, going over the case notes. When I'm done, there will be questions for some of you."  
**Matthews**: "Well, you heard the man, everyone back to work."

* * *

**5th January 2012**  
**Debra's Home**  
**8:07 PM**

**Debra**: "Fuck, Dex, that fed and his fucking poker-face give me the creeps. He's been all over the station today interviewing several people, looking at files and even half of them seem genuinely intimidated by this guy despite their innocence, well in this case anyway. How are we going to get out of this mess?"  
**Dexter**: "Relax. He's got nothing on us."  
**Debra**: "Not yet, this guy is a pro, Dex." I knew he gave that impression but I just wanted to see if she knew more about Pelle than I.  
**Dexter**: "How so?"  
**Debra**: "Jesus Christ, Dex, aren't you familiar with some of the cases he's worked on? I looked it up. For example in 1999 he went from a simple murder of one person, committed by one person, to uncovering an entire multi-billion dollar racket. All 17 people involved were convicted with the shortest sentence being 20 years..." she paused for a moment "for fucking cooperation. This guy's relentless, maybe even more than Lundy was."  
**Dexter**: "We'll figure it out, we've been in hot water before."  
**Debra**: "What did they find at the crime scene? I thought you cleaned up any trace of us ever being there."  
**Dexter**: "I have, it's not perfect, but at least there's really nothing that can be linked to us."  
**Debra**: "So...?"  
**Dexter**: "Look, I'll ask Matthews for the report tomorrow, stop worrying and try to get some sleep."  
**Debra**: "Any word from Hannah? She's still at large you know."  
**Dexter**: "Nope. Look, I gotta go, spend some time with Harrison."

Hannah, it's been almost a week since I had seen her. Was I too harsh in turning her in? Has she learned her lesson? Can I trust her to never harm Debra again?

* * *

**5th January 2012**  
**Dexter's Apartment**  
**8:43 PM**

**Jamie**: "I wouldn't go in that room if I were you, Harrison is all tucked into bed, sleeping."  
**Dexter**: "Okay, so, you said you had some plans for tonight?"  
**Jamie**: "Oh absolutely."  
**Dexter**: "And who's the lucky guy?"  
**Jamie**: "Detective Joey Quinn. What you didn't know? We hooked up around New Year's Eve. Ah, that's right, you weren't there. Well, I better get going."  
**Dexter**: "Alright, have fun."

_That night I had that dream again. I dreamed of growing old with Hannah. Harrison now 18 with his own car._

_**Harrison**__: "Bye, dad!"_  
_**Dexter**__: "Bye, Harrison!"_

_He got into his car and drove off. I shared a passionate kiss with my wife when... I heard a car crash. We rush to see what had just happened. It was Harrison's car. I looked in anger towards Hannah._

_**Dexter**__: "You! Did you do this to my son? Our son!?"_  
_**Hannah**__: "Yes." she smiled in a sinister way._  
_**Dexter**__: "Why?" I was ready to just strangle her on the spot but waited to hear an answer. How could she ever do this to me?_  
_**Hannah**__: "Because he never turns the music down, never takes out the trash when I ask him to, never listens to me in general and..."_  
_**Hannah**__ leaned to whisper something in my ear._  
_**Hannah**__: "...because he constantly taunts me that I'm not his real mother..."_

I awake pretty shook up. It was 5:30 AM.

_**Harry Morgan**__: "Dexter. Use your judgement. You know you have no future with Hannah. Two killers? It was doomed from the start. You don't need a murdering wife. You were better off with a normal companion, like Rita."_  
_**Dexter**__: "It was only a dream, dad."_  
_**Harry Morgan**__: "A dream that could very well become a reality... one way or another and maybe sooner than you think. Do you really want to trust a poisoner to cook the food of your children for the next 15 years?"_  
_**Dexter**__: "She's not that bad."_  
_**Harry Morgan**__: "She tried to kill your sister, for God's sake!"_  
_**Dexter**__: "Because Debra wouldn't drop the investigation on her. Maybe now that she's a murderer too she'll learn to let it go."_  
_**Harry Morgan**__: "My God, Dexter, listen to yourself."_  
_**Dexter**__: "Look, Hannah probably got the message. She wouldn't dare to pull that stunt again."_  
_**Harry Morgan**__: "Probably? This is just wishful thinking on your part isn't it, Dexter? I'm telling you right now that this is a mistake. You had her on your table, she met the code fully, it should have ended then and there. Just like all the others."_  
_**Dexter**__: "This conversation is over, dad. You're not real anyway, you're just a psychological construct, a figment of my imagination. I am in control here."_  
_**Harry Morgan**__: "Suit yourself, son."_


	3. By Fire Be Purged!

**6th January 2012**  
**Miami Metro Police Department, Homicide**  
**10:08 AM**

Meanwhile in Captain Matthews' office...

**Matthews**: "Yes, Agent Cophs, have a seat please."

Cophs sat down and took out a notebook with his case notes and pencil.

**Pelle** **Cophs**: "Captain Matthews, I've been looking into former Captain Maria LaGuerta's past activities, especially her most recent activities, right before she died, I've interviewed a few co-workers, I've spoken with the Commissioner. But I'd like to hear it from you as well. What case was she working on?"  
**Matthews**: "Oh, her desk was littered with open cases. Turn around and you'll see the entire pile she left me."  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "I mean, 'the' case, sir."  
**Matthews**: "Case? It was hardly a case, Agent Cophs, the Bay Harbor Butcher case is a federal case and has been officially closed for over five years. She had this wild theory that the Bay Harbor Butcher was not Sergeant James Doakes, but one of our lab geeks."  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "And the name of this person would be?"  
**Matthews**: "Dexter Morgan."  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "Correct, that is what everyone in the station is saying. Were you part of her little investigation?"  
**Matthews**: "Yes, although not in any official capacity. We didn't find any evidence on Dexter, just more on Doakes. It wasn't enough to convince her though."

Pelle Cophs paused for a second.

**Pelle Cophs**: "Correct. That is what several co-workers I interviewed in the office told me. That is consistent the Commissioner's report on her alleged misconduct. I understand that Lieutenant Debra Morgan is Dexter Morgan's sister?"  
**Matthews**: "Adoptive, yes."  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "I will most certainly be interviewing them and we'll talk about it more in detail later, but let's talk about you, Captain Matthews because there are several things I want to clarify before I move on. How long have you known Miss LaGuerta?"  
**Matthews**: "It's been roughly 20 years."  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "True. Records show you both met in 1991. Were you on good terms with Miss LaGuerta?"  
**Matthews**: "Of course I was, what kind of question is that?" Matthews answered seemingly irritated.  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "You're lying, Matthews, I've looked into it. You were Deputy Chief months ago. You were forcibly retired because of her, because of what she found about your personal life. Spill it out."  
**Matthews**: "Okay, you got me, we've had our differences. What relevance does this have to your case?"  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "I am the one in the position to determine that. Tell me, Captain Matthews, do you enjoy your new position as Captain?"  
**Matthews**: "Yes..."  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "How is it that you came to be reinstated back on the force?"  
**Matthews**: "Maria LaGuerta promised to reinstate me if I helped her with her theory."  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "Correct, I found her recommendation which was sent to the Commissioner about a week before she died. But I do have to point out, you probably wouldn't have obtained the position of Captain had Miss LaGuerta still been alive, or any other high-ranking positions for that matter. They were all taken, I checked them all. The only way you would have ever been accepted back on the force would have been in a position of substantially less pay."  
**Matthews**: "Technically yes, but... where is this going, Agent Cophs? You think I had something to do with it?"  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "Your pension records show you were just 9 months away from full 40-year pension benefits. Two of your friends who still work in the department can testify you could barely keep up with your payments."  
**Matthews**: "I agree completely, and yes I agreed to help LaGuerta on the condition that she would help me get reinstated, I never made that a secret."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Is there something more you would like to tell me?"  
**Matthews**: "This is absurd, do you think I killed Maria LaGuerta?"  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "Calm down, I didn't say that. But thank you for your time, Captain Matthews, I will get back to you when the time is right."  
**Matthews**: "Sure."

* * *

**Dexter's Interview**  
**1:37 PM**

Right after lunch, Pelle Cophs had me called into his office to ask me some questions. The man stood there at his desk with the same notebook and pencil, ready to write all the details down. I noticed that he's always used them when interviewing people. He seems pretty old school for a relatively young agent.

**Pelle** **Cophs**: "Have as seat, Mr. Morgan."  
**Dexter**: "Agent Cophs?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Finally, I have a chance to speak personally with you. I've already interviewed your forensics co-worker, Vince Masuka. I understand you haven't seen the coroner's report yet?"  
**Dexter**: "No, sir, I haven't."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Well, let's get started then, in your own report you concluded that Mr. Hector Estrada died from a single gunshot wound to the heart?"  
**Dexter**: "Yes, that is correct."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Indeed, the coroner found that the shell casing matches Captain LaGuerta's standard police-issued firearm. So does the bullet. There are no fingerprints on the gun except hers. Now..." Cophs opens the file. "This is what we found that contradicts the theory that LaGuerta and Estrada shot each other. The bullet found inside LaGuerta's lung does not match Estrada's gun. It's a complete mismatch."  
**Dexter**: "Well, I couldn't have figured that out at the crime scene."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Nobody is questioning you or Mr. Masuka's findings, Mr. Morgan, but there was definitely a third person there, maybe more. We also..." Cophs turns a page. "...have definitive proof that someone tampered with the crime scene and left misleading evidence for us to find. Estrada's gun was definitely fired once and we found the shell casing to match it. But it was not fired at LaGuerta. What I think happened was, the third person killed LaGuerta with his own gun, retrieved the shell casing to cover his tracks, then fired Estrada's gun into the air to leave a misleading shell casing behind so he wouldn't be implicated in the shooting." Which is almost exactly what I did. Deb shouldn't have shot her. I could have handled it on my own.  
**Dexter**: "Wow, any leads?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "No witnesses so far, but if anybody comes forward they'll most certainly be able to confirm there were at least three shots fired, not two. But let's leave that aside for now, let's talk about you, Mr. Morgan."  
**Dexter**: "Sure, what about me?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You were part of the investigation into the Bay Harbor Butcher case. The late Frank Lundy, FBI Special Agent at that time found definitive proof that Sergeant James Doakes was the Bay Harbor Butcher, there's no question about it. Everyone except for Captain Maria LaGuerta. Why is that?"  
**Dexter**: "Captain LaGuerta was Doakes' partner and ex-girlfriend. She wasn't thinking objectively, her emotions got to her. I think that she couldn't accept the fact that someone she cared about was a cold blooded killer."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "That seems... plausible, some of your co-workers seem to share that view as well, but still, how come after 5 years of essentially nothing happening she suddenly starts to suspects you and you alone? And even after further proof is found implicating Doakes, she still doesn't give up?"  
**Dexter**: "I don't know!"  
For the first time, I see a frown on Pelle Cophs' face.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You're lying, Mr. Morgan, keep lying to me and I'll have you charged with the obstruction of a federal investigation." He abandons his calm approach and raises his tone considerably. "Give me something! Am I supposed to believe that she just suddenly snapped for no reason?"  
**Dexter**: "Look, I am the victim here. I was arrested for a death that had not even happen at the time of my arrest. Okay?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You're not winning me over, Morgan." Now where have I heard that before?  
**Dexter**: "Look, several months ago we were working on this serial killer, Travis Marshall, The Doomsday Killer. He predicted the end of the world during the eclipse last year, when that didn't come to pass, he set his hideout, an abandoned church, on fire and stabbed himself with a sword."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Go on..."  
**Dexter**: "Then we found a bloodslide near the altar with Travis' blood on it."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "So that's what triggered her suspicion that Doakes was innocent? Still, a misleading answer. It doesn't explain how she came to suspect you, you personally Dexter Morgan."  
**Dexter**: "Because I officially own a boat and Doakes kept his a secret? Because I'm a blood-spatter analyst? Because Lundy always believed the killer had law enforcement background even before he found evidence on Doakes?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Hmmm... Perhaps. We'll talk again soon, Mr. Morgan. Thank you for your time. And I hope for your sake that what you just told me now is accurate."

I went back in my lab to finish some tests while Cophs went straight to Matthews' office. I kept an eye on them from a distance, I couldn't make out what they were saying, but Cophs requested a case file and walked out. Thirty minutes later he returned to Matthews. While they were busy I walked past Matthews' office and tried to get a glimpse of what was inside without them noticing. I didn't hear a thing but I noticed the file was on the Doomsday Killer case, Travis Marshall.

Meanwhile...

**Matthews**: "Agent Cophs, back so soon?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You know, earlier I interviewed your blood-spatter analyst, the man LaGuerta accused of being the Bay Harbor Butcher. I think we're ready to discuss Miss LaGuerta's personal re-investigation of the Bay Harbor Butcher case in detail. Let's start at the beginning."  
Cophs opens the file on the Doomsday Killer case.  
**Matthews**: "Yes, several weeks ago I was on my docked boat, when I was approached by Maria. She had this theory the Bay Harbor Butcher was still alive and at large."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "What triggered her suspicion after 5 years of nothing happening?"  
**Matthews**: "The Doomsday Killer case. She found a blood slide at the crime scene. Looked exactly like the Bay Harbor Butcher's blood slides. That combined with the fact that Doakes was never a registered boat owner and that people were still going missing..."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "People go missing all the time, Captain Matthews. But that blood slide, it does seem kind of suspicious, perhaps the department was too quick to dismiss Travis Marshall's death as suicide?"  
**Matthews**: "Maybe."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Go on."  
**Matthews**: "Well, she followed Frank Lundy's theory that the Bay Harbor Butcher was working in law enforcement, so she prepared a list of everyone at Miami Metro who ever owned a boat. She found out that Dexter Morgan had moved his boat to a different marina."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Interesting, was there something else?"  
**Matthews**: "I suggested that we look into the final days of Sergeant Doakes, before the explosion at the cabin in the Everglades. The cabin was never rebuilt, but the owner of that piece of land moved back in with his trailer. Now, at that time, the cabin was rented to a Santos Jimenez. Doakes hijacked it at some point and started using it as his kill room."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "And who is this Santos Jimenez?"  
**Matthews**: "He was one of the murderers of Laura Moser, the biological mother of Dexter Morgan. That was the connection. She was butchered with a chainsaw right in front of Dexter when he was 3."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Interesting, Captain Matthews, that seems like a pretty unlikely coincidence doesn't it?"  
**Matthews**: "I know, but we looked further and finally found Sergeant Doakes' other hideout, the place where he kept his unregistered boat, proving definitively that he was the Bay Harbor Butcher."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "And still Miss LaGuerta didn't believe it..."  
**Matthews**: "Look, Agent Cophs, I seriously hope you're not going to believe her story now too?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I didn't say that, Captain Matthews. But I do have to follow every lead. Evey. Single. One."  
**Matthews**: "Then what are you saying?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Dexter Morgan claims LaGuerta framed him, what's your take on all of this?"  
**Matthews**: "Well, given that LaGuerta pushed for the early release of Hector Estrada, the man who ordered Laura Moser's death, hoping that Dexter will go after him out of revenge and given that she arrested Dexter for his murder based on dubious evidence and at a time when Estrada was still alive... I'd say yes."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Did Miss LaGuerta know Mr. Estrada personally?"  
**Matthews**: "Given the phone call made to him before her death, yes."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "So do you think they had some argument that turned bloody?"  
**Matthews**: "Seems like it."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Captain Matthews, there's something that just doesn't add up to that theory."  
**Matthews**: "And that is?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I interviewed officer Dan Williams recently. He was under orders from Captain LaGuerta to follow Estrada around that day. The night before Dexter Morgan's arrest they followed Estrada to the same shipping yard, heard a gun go off and then Estrada was mysteriously gone."  
**Matthews**: "So? They were probably hoping for Dexter to make a move, which he never did."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "And they found the same container wrapped in plastic and a chainsaw in the middle. The chainsaw was on."  
**Matthews**: "How does that prove anything other than that Estrada was probably back into organized crime? Come on, Agent Cophs, where are you going with this?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Why are you being so dismissive, Captain? Don't you want to know the truth?"  
**Matthews**: "Of course I want to know the truth, not waste time pursuing ridiculous conspiracy theories. Look, my guess is, Estrada was probably setting up another one of his kill rooms for a rival dealer when he realized he was being watched and snuck out. Either way, wrapping a container in plastic and owning chainsaws are both legal."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Thank you for your time once again, Captain Matthews."  
**Matthews**: "So what's next?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Well, things still don't add up. I will request search warrants on both Estrada's and LaGuerta's residences. Personal diaries, notes, laptops, documents, anything that might shed some more light on this. I will be looking into known criminal associates of Estrada. I will be looking over the case notes of Frank Lundy on the Bay Harbor Bucher case. And finally..."  
**Matthews**: "Yes, Agent Cophs?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I will run an extensive background check on both Sergeant James Doakes, Dexter Morgan and detective Joseph Quinn. Something is not right here and I will get to the bottom of it."  
**Matthews**: "Quinn? How does..."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I interviewed him yesterday. He seemed... evasive for some reason."

* * *

**6th January 2012**  
**Debra's Home**  
**8:22 PM**

**Debra**: "So, how was your little discussion with that freak Cophs?"  
**Dexter**: "Still nothing on us, but he's asking questions, won't leave a stone unturned."  
**Debra**: "What can we do?"  
**Dexter**: "Well, we can't do... that."  
**Debra**: "Duh, next time it will probably be the National Guard. Don't even go there, Dex. We're definitely not killing any more lawmen."  
**Dexter**: "We need to get rid of LaGuerta's laptop with the compromising video of you at that gas station, as well as her search warrants. They're probably back at LaGuerta's home. If Cophs finds them it's over for... oh shit..."

I had a sudden realization that Cophs might have already found them. Debra looked at me, very confused.

**Debra**: "What is it, Dex?"  
**Dexter**: "I need to leave. Now."  
**Debra**: "Dex, wait!"

I rush out the door, get into my car and drive as fast as possible to LaGuerta's house. I find the laptop, the incriminating CD and the warrants. All mysteriously very close to each other, almost like someone was waiting for me to find them. Nobody will be seeing them ever again. But is this all there is? No secret diary hidden somewhere? In life, LaGuerta knew how to play the game, how to be two steps ahead of everybody else.

I look around more closely and find a second CD under the pillow, nothing written on the cover except a random number. But inside it is not empty. It's the same video footage from the gas station. Carefully hidden in the closet I found an envelope. "To be opened in the event of my untimely demise..." LaGuerta's personal notes on the... Bay Harbor Butcher.

I can't any more chances and I don't have time to search this entire house. This entire building must be purged. I go into the kitchen and loosen the gas pipes a bit. The gas will slowly build up over night, destroying any documents that LaGuerta might have hidden. I leave soon after.


	4. Senor Doakes Sends His Regards

**7th January 2012**  
**Miami, Florida**  
**9:23 PM**

Today was my day off. Weekend. With all this mounting pressure I feel that I must kill again to maintain control. Tonight's that night again. My next victim is someone I should have killed a long time ago. Carlos Guerrero, the drug lord who ordered the murders of officer Ricky Simmons and his wife, Kara Simmons back in 2006 but was never convicted for it. All he got was ten years in a federal prison for the abduction and attempted murder of Sergeant Doakes, back when he was still officially on the good side of the law. Served only five due to his connections.

I've been following him all day all over town, but there are always bodyguards around him. How do I get close to him? The same mistakes with Isaac Sirko will not be repeated, I have to play this safe. What was his weakness five years ago? Perhaps the example of the late Sergeant Doakes can give me an idea.

Several hours later my plan is nearly finished. I don't normally employ such extreme tactics but since time is of the essence...

Carlos Guerrero's cell phone rings.  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Who is this?"  
**Unknown Caller (Dexter)**: "Carlos Guerrero, Rose's life is in my hands now, if you ever want to see her again you'll do exactly as I say."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Who the fuck do you think..."  
**Unknown Caller (Dexter)**: "Ask your driver to pull over now, or Rose dies."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Bullshit! You're bluffing, man! You don't even have her!"  
**Unknown Caller (Dexter)**: "Are you certain about that? Call her. She won't be home." I hang up.

Carlos Guerrero almost immediately call Rose's cell phone.  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Rose, baby, you alright?"  
**Unknown Caller (Dexter)**: "Hello, again, Carlos Guerrero."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Motherfucking... puta! You give her back you hear!"  
**Unknown Caller (Dexter)**: "Pull over. Now."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Alright, man. Antonio! Stop the fucking car I need some air!"  
The car stops. Carlos and his bodyguards get out.  
**Unknown Caller (Dexter)**: "Very good, Carlos. But we don't need your... gorillas. Order them back in the car. Order them to drive away."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Fuck you, man, I ain't that stupid."  
**Unknown Caller (Dexter)**: "Order them back in the fucking car. It's not negotiable."  
Carlos Guerrero signals his men to get into the car.  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Alright, I did that, now what?"  
**Unknown Caller (Dexter)**: "I'm watching you so don't try anything smart. You go anywhere near a cop station, she dies."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Fuck the cops, man, I never do that shit. It's the code of the streets."  
**Unknown Caller (Dexter)**: "Good, you see I also follow a code, you call for help she dies."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Just tell me what you want!"  
**Unknown Caller (Dexter)**: "You're going to withdraw 100.000$ in cash from your bank account and take it to the address that will be texted to you. You will come alone and on foot. Once you do that your daughter is free." I hang up the call.

She shows up at the docks alone and I ambush him from behind. He would soon wake up on my table, restrained.

**Carlos Guerrero (waking up)**: "Hey! Hey! You said you'd let my daughter go mother fucker!" He was absolutely raging.

The kill room was decorated in plastic as usual, photos of the Simmons family all around. Rose Guerrero lying unconscious on a separate table.

**Carlos Guerrero**: "Rose, baby, you alright? Did he hurt you?"  
**Dexter**: "I gave her a good dose of M-99 and took her in her sleep. She won't remember a thing about tonight."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "You got your money, you snake, what more do you want? Let her go she just turned 18!"  
**Dexter**: "Stop screaming, I never intended to kill her. And I won't. She'll be home safely by tomorrow morning."  
I take Rose outside and place her in the trunk of my car. I go back inside to finish the job.  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Let me go, you got your money!"  
**Dexter**: "Do you want to know a secret, Carlos?"  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "What? What?"  
**Dexter**: "I don't want your fucking dirty drug money either." I whispered in his ear. "That briefcase? Yeah, it will also be returned home safely by tomorrow morning. It's a shame you'll never see either Rose or the money ever again."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "What the hell is this?"  
**Dexter**: "What Guerrero? You don't recognize those photos? Ricky Simmons! Kara Simmons! You ordered their deaths and now it's time to pay for it. Soon you'll be cut into six roughly equal pieces wrapped in garbage bags and sleeping with the fishes."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "How... how is this possible!? Are you fucking working with him? But... I thought... he died five years ago! I thought the feds caught him!" says Carlos hopelessly struggling to break free.  
**Dexter**: "Who?"  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Sergeant Doakes, the Bay Harbor Butcher! He's the only one who'd pull this shit. He talked shit about me in front of Rose, he beat up my lieutenant, that crooked cop always said he'd never play by the rules! He put you up to this somehow didn't he?"  
**Dexter**: "Do you want to know another secret, Carlos?" I lean over again and whisper to him "I am the Bay Harbor Butcher."  
Guerrero is speechless.  
**Dexter**: "Yes, you are one of the few that I can afford to be honest with. I, I alone, Dexter Morgan, am the Bay Harbor Butcher. I'm not Doakes' 'partner', or 'apprentice', or some random copy-cat off the streets. I did all of that! Just like I'm going to do to you."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Oh shit! No, no!" Realizing the reality of the situation he starts to beg for his life. "Please, man. We can work this out. You got a nice bag of cash, just let me go."  
**Dexter**: "The only way this will work out is you dead at the bottom of the ocean."  
**Carlos Guerrero**: "Nooo!"

I plunge a sharp knife into his heart. I feel... relieved.

Later that night after Carlos' been disposed of I'm back home.

_**Harry Morgan**__: "Dexter what was that all about?"_  
_**Dexter**__: "What do you mean?"_  
_**Harry Morgan**__: "What did I ever tell you about not getting caught? You told a mobster your real name and essentially confessed to being the real Bay Habor Butcher and letting Doakes take the fall. What were you thinking in saying all that out loud?" _  
_**Dexter**__: "I was about to kill him anyway."_  
_**Harry Morgan**__: "Dexter, that was reckless of you. You never know who could be watching. Or recording. And some people have escaped from your table before."_  
_**Dexter**__: "I guess... I just felt the need to stop hiding for once."_  
_**Harry Morgan**__: "Dexter, are you... feeling some amount of guilt for LaGuerta's death?"_  
_**Dexter**__: "LaGuerta's death was necessary. She wouldn't leave me alone. She wouldn't leave Deb alone."_  
_**Harry Morgan**__: "She didn't fit the code at all."_  
_**Dexter**__: "But there's always my prime directive, 'don't get caught'."_  
_**Harry Morgan**__: "The more innocents you kill or allow to be killed, the more vulnerable you become. Remember Rita? You almost incriminated yourself even though it was Trinity!"_  
_**Dexter**__: "I won't allow something like that to happen ever again."_


	5. Connect the Dots

**9th January 2012**  
**Miami Metro Police Department, Homicide**  
**3:15 PM**

Agent Cophs did not turn up at Miami Metro until at least 3 PM. When he did, we walked straight into Matthews' office.

**Matthews**: "How can I help you, Agent Cophs?"  
**Pelle** **Cophs**: "Captain Matthews, it's been a very busy weekend, first thing I did was look into Estrada's known associates."  
**Matthews**: "And?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "All dead, in custody for other offenses or haven't lived in Florida in years. His entire gang essentially ceased to exist a long time ago. Plus Estrada had only been recently released after almost 40 years, would have been very unlikely to re-establish connections so easily."  
**Matthews**: "You may be underestimating these Hispanic gangs, they're tighter than you think."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Perhaps, but there are more likely theories. Now, I'd like to go over the Bay Harbor Butcher case one last time." Cophs opens his briefcase and pulls out a file at least an inch thick.  
**Matthews**: "What is there to go over? Doakes was the Bay Harbor Butcher. You're not taking LaGuerta's conspiracy theory seriously are you?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I didn't say he wasn't, now I looked over the entire file along with Lundy's personal notes, I must agree the evidence is... overwhelming."  
**Matthews**: "What are you getting at, Agent Colphs?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Well, Matthews, let me put it this way. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Sergeant James Doakes committed those murders" Cophs pulls the file on Jacques Bayard "Even before Doakes became a suspect in the Bay Harbor Butcher case, this man, Jacques Bayard, was shot dead by him. Doakes claimed self-defense but the circumstances were suspicious. Eventually the case was dropped because of orders coming directly out of Washington. It wasn't self-defense, it was a vigilante kill. Jacques Bayard's real name is Rene Thibault, he used to be a death squad officer in Haiti. Doakes was in black ops before he joined Miami Metro and participated in missions in Haiti. He most likely witnessed Thibault committing war crimes and swore to take him out one day. And he did, when Thibault emigrated to the United States. Now..." Cophs turns to another file." As Agent Lundy noted, Doakes was involved in an unusually large number of officer-related shootings, he had an abusive father, who by the way worked as a butcher, and many of the Butcher's victims passed through this station, Sergeant Doakes personally being involved in some of those cases."  
**Matthews**: "Yes, I know the details of the case, you don't need to..."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Let me finish, Captain. Now, when confronted, Doakes was extremely uncooperative. He walked out of Agent Lundy's office and boarded a plane out of the country... That's when Agent Lundy obtained search warrants on his properties and found the box of blood slides. We, that's the FBI, I was never involved in the investigation, also found tools of his dumped in the ocean, all bearing his fingerprints. Later he somehow snuck back into the United States and the FBI found his remains at the cabin in the Everglades along with the remains of his latest kill. Suicide. And last year you finally found his secret boat house. Hadn't been used in years so it was the perfect cover."  
**Matthews**: "Is that all, Agent Cophs? I have a very busy schedule."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "No, I'm not done yet, now it's time to fill you in on the 'suspicious details' that need to be looked into more closely. First, that blood slide found at Travis Marshall's hideout. Second, the mysterious disappearance of several people who were investigated by Miami Metro... years after the death of Sergeant Doakes."  
**Matthews**: "Really, Agent Cophs? And who are these people?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "The suspects in the Barrel Girls case, all vanished like they never existed, what are the odds? Raymond Speltzer, age 32, according to people in the department Lieutenant Debra Morgan had a particular interest in bringing him down but he was released due to faulty arrest procedure. He disappeared without a trace soon after his release. Viktor Baskov, age 29, suspect in the murders of Kaja Soroka, Ukrainian stripper and detective Mike Anderson. Bought a one-way ticket out of the country but never made his flight. Vanished never to be seen again. Isaak Sirko, age 48, wanted for triple homicide, charges dropped due to evidence going missing... coincidentally or not, detective Joseph Quinn was among those in the evidence locker several days before. Sirko as well disappeared without a trace."  
**Matthews**: "Debra Morgan? Joseph Quinn? You gotta be fucking kidding me, Agent Cophs. These are good police workers. You can't just make all these implicit accusations without proof."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Who said I was, Captain Matthews? I'm saying these are leads worth pursuing and I'm saying you need to be more cooperative. Finally, I want to talk about Dexter Morgan. Why did you leave out the details of his past the last time we talked?"  
**Matthews**: "Because they're not relevant."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You're lying Matthews, Dexter Morgan's real family name is Moser, born to Laura Moser in 1971, she was butchered with a chainsaw and young Dexter Moser was left lying in a pool of his own mother's blood, along with his brother Brain Moser, whom you conveniently forgot to mention. Yes, Brian Moser, the Ice Truck Killer. You knew his brother grew up to be a serial killer and you kept that information from me."  
**Matthews**: "Just because his brother turned out a deranged killer doesn't mean Dexter has to as well. For God's sake, Agent Cophs, Brain Moser was mental case from early childhood. He was institutionalized until the age of 21. Dexter was taken in by officer Harry Morgan, who raised him to become a productive member of society."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "A blood-spatter analyst? With this skills? Ever checked his college records? He was an exceptional student and he could have been a lot more. Let's talk about Rita Morgan, Dexter's wife. She was allegedly murdered by Arthur Mitchell, the Trinity Killer. Strangely, Arthur Mitchell also disappeared off the face of the Earth soon after, never to be seen again. His car however was found near a forest, abandoned..."  
**Matthews**: "Look, it seems strange even to me, but that's how it happened."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Strange? You don't think it's a big fucking coincidence that Arthur Mitchell just happened to murder the wife of someone involved in the investigation? You don't find that it's fucking suspicious that Rita Morgan didn't even fit the pattern of the young, single woman with no kids killed in the bathtub?"  
**Matthews**: "Dexter was cleared of any wrongdoing by the FBI, you should know that 'Special Agent' Cophs."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Let's go back five or six years, before Sergeant Doakes' death. What was his personal beef with Dexter Morgan?"  
**Matthews**: "I... dunno exactly."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You're lying again, Matthews, spill it out or I'm going to come down hard on this department and bring it down to its knees. What was Doakes' problem with Morgan? "  
**Matthews**: "You're out of line, Agent Cophs, I ought to speak to your superiors! This is bordering on harassment!"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Doakes assaulted Morgan for no apparent reason in this very department, during Agent Lundy's investigation into the Bay Harbor murders, his co-workers witnessed him repeatedly harass Morgan before that, and you want me to believe you don't know why?"  
**Matthews**: "Look, Morgan and Dexter never really liked each other much, I guess that's just the way it was. And Dexter was the first one to know about Doakes' unregistered boat, they shared the same marina so they probably used bump into each other frequently."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Interesting... Captain Matthews what do you think about the fact that Santos Jimenez, one of Doakes' likely victims just happened to be involved in the death of Morgan's biological mother?"  
**Matthews**: "I know it's a long shot, but Doakes always thought of Dexter as a weird person. My guess is, Doakes looked into his background and found a perfect candidate for his blood lust, the murderer of Dexter's biological mother. Agent Cophs, please tell me where all of this is going? Earlier you said you were convinced James Doakes was the butcher and now you're saying... he might not be? Make sense please."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Once again, I did not say Sergeant Doakes was innocent."  
**Matthews**: "Then? ..."

Pelle Cophs paused for a second.

**Pelle Cophs**: "I'm saying he had an accomplice. Think about it. The number of victims, the amount of care taken to avoid detection, plus the fact that one of victims was reported to have disappeared at a time when Sergeant Doakes was on a mission with Captain LaGuerta, Agent Lundy noted this in his journal but dismissed it as unreliable evidence due to Captain LaGuerta's covering for Doakes... This has to be much more than just a one-man operation. I think Sergeant Doakes had an accomplice, maybe an apprentice at least who covered for him and probably assumed his role after his death. The blood slide left behind so carelessly seems to indicate he was not quite as professional as Doakes."  
Matthews was speechless.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Why do you look so surprised, Captain Matthews?"  
**Matthews**: "Oh no, it's just that I've never considered that option. I just never pictured Doakes taking partners in this, he always struck me as more of a lone wolf. You might be right, but there's no way anyone in this department is involved."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I have further questions for you personally Captain Matthews, you've known LaGuerta for a while now have you?"  
**Matthews**: "Yes, of course."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Is she particularly negligent?"  
**Matthews**: "Not that I know of."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Her house burned down to the ground friday night. Firefighters found a loose gas pipe. Pretty big coincidence don't you think? I think that someone didn't want me to find whatever was in there."  
**Matthews**: "Or it could have just been a gas leak? The house's been unattended lately. We haven't even found her next of kin yet."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "A week? Not likely... It's a hell of a coincidence isn't it? That her house burned down right before I was about to conduct a search on the property."  
**Matthews**: "Another one of your wild speculations, eh, Agent Cophs?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You better start giving me something or I'm going to tear this place apart to find it."  
**Matthews**: "Look, if Maria was serious about finding anything she would have tried to obtain search warrants. Check the records of all the courthouses in town."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I will do that..."

Pelle Colphs walked out of the office. What they didn't know, is that I was ready this time. I had an audio recorder discretely placed in Matthews' office when nobody was around to see me.

Now I know, I know that I'm on Agent Cophs' radar. I know that Debra is on it as well. The only comforting thought is that the entire department might be... to some degree.._._


	6. Who Is Deb Now?

**9th January 2012**  
**Debra's Home**  
**5:41 PM**

The situation was dire indeed, but I couldn't arouse any suspicions back at the station. I couldn't talk to Deb and risk having her freak out over it. So I waited until after work, then went to Debra's house. Frankly, I did not see any other way out, it would only be a matter of time before Agent Cophs obtained the same search warrants on our phones already issued by the court and link us with Travis Marshall's murder. And this time killing another innocent person, especially a federal agent, was not an option. We'd have to pack our bags and flee the country. I had long prepared for this day with my "getaway" kit, 50.000$ in cash and a fake ID and passport... only problem is... the fake papers only cover me. I never imagined dragging Deb so deep into this and I never prepared for Harrison either.

I knock on the door. She answers.  
**Debra**: "Dex, come on in." she didn't seem angry anymore but she didn't seem happy either.  
**Dexter**: "Deb, I think we might have a problem, I overheard a conversation between Matthews and Agent Cophs, he's going to check the courts and he's going to find that a judge issued search warrants on our cell phones."  
**Debra**: "Holy fuck, Dex..."  
**Dexter**: "Deb, listen to me, I need you to pack your bags, take anything of value you might have and give me a small recent photo of yourself."  
**Debra**: "What for?" she asked, I see a lot of confusion in her face.  
**Dexter**: "You'll need a fake ID and passport, I'm going to try to obtain one by tomorrow, then we're leaving together along with Harrison."  
**Debra**: "Dexter, what the fuck?" she objected. "We're in this together, can't we at least talk about it?"  
**Dexter**: "We don't have any other options, that's the best I can offer, it's either that or Cophs will have us in front of grand jury within 72 hours."  
**Debra**: "You know you're right, that is the best you can offer. A pity you don't trust me to come up with something better at least."

Her response was intriguing.

**Dexter**: "Like?"

Debra thought for a minute and finally said:  
**Debra**: "Okay so, they're not likely to find anything special if they search our cell phones right?"  
**Dexter**: "Right, but they'll just check the GPS records of the phone company for the date Travis Marshall was killed."  
**Debra**: "Correct."  
**Dexter**: "So? What can we do about it?"  
**Debra**: "Well, I know it's a long shot, but... what if we get a hacker to erase that from their database?"  
**Dexter**: "Do you have someone in mind on such short notice?"  
**Debra**: "Fucking Edward Giles, age 26, the guys over at the Computer Crimes Division picked him up last month. The prosecution rests largely on evidence found on his fucking laptop. We get rid of that and he's free, on the condition that he helps us of course."  
**Dexter**: "And then what? Deb, it doesn't help much if you get rid of the evidence implicating us and create a witness instead. If Cophs catches and interrogates him he'll eventually crack under the pressure. And I don't want to kill any more innocent people. They have to meet my code."

Debra pauses for a second.

**Debra**: "Well, that's the thing, Dex. We have reasons to believe that Giles is also a sexual predator and murderer, responsible for the deaths of at least two women, but we've never been able to prove it due to some legal technicalities."  
**Dexter**: "Deb, are you sure about that?"  
**Debra**: "Absolutely! The two victims, both died within close proximity to MacArthur Street 1131, Giles' home address."  
**Dexter**: "In that case I can arrange it. But this needs to happen fast."  
**Debra**: "We need to relay the message soon, as Lieutenant of Homicide I can get in and out, talk with him, no questions asked."  
**Dexter**: "Deb, no." I objected. "Look Cophs already suspects enough as it is, the last thing we need is you paying a him a visit right before he walks free. We need to get the message to him more discreet than that."  
**Debra**: "So what are you suggesting?"  
**Dexter**: "I've broken into our workplace before, just give me the necessary keys and the layout so I can avoid security cameras and I'll make my way to his cell."  
**Debra**: "Dexter, are you fucking nuts? You're going to break 'into' custody?"  
**Dexter**: "Deb, just listen to me. I've been doing stuff like this for years."

* * *

**9th January 2012**  
**Miami Metro Police Department, Custody Cell Block**  
**10:08 PM**

Edward Giles was sleeping in his cell.  
**Dexter**: "Wake up, Edward Giles." He woke up immediately. I came dressed as a cop so as not to startle him. The real cops wouldn't have been fooled, so I took great care to avoid being seen on my way to his cell."  
**Edward**: "What is it, officer?"  
I open the door, go into his cell to talk. I lower my voice.  
**Dexter**: "Edward, I need you to be quiet and I need to you listen."  
**Edward**: "Okay..."  
**Dexter**: "I'm officer Martin Didders, you were arrested on multiple charges of unauthorized computer access. Things don't look too good for you, you're looking at a minimum 10 years in prison. How would you like to be a free man again?"  
**Edward**: "What do you mean?" he asks confused. "Even if I run I won't get very far."  
**Dexter**: "Edward, me and my partner Brenda can make all those charges go away by tomorrow. We can make the evidence disappear. Then we'll have no choice but to let you walk."  
**Edward**: "This isn't going to come without a price is it?"  
I fake a smile.  
**Dexter**: "You'll be doing us a favor when you get out after which you're a free man. We need you to attack the Miami Mobile company's database, erase all GPS-related data entirely."  
**Edward**: "Piece of cake, may I ask what exactly is the purpose of that?"  
**Dexter**: "None of your business. You do what you're told and that's that."  
**Edward**: "Sure... I still don't see how you're going to get me out of here."  
**Dexter**: "Like you said, piece of cake. You'll see. Call your lawyer first thing in the morning and have him request a secondary expertise on the evidence. You'll be free in less than 2 hours after that. Guaranteed."  
**Edward**: "Alright..."

Meanwhile...

* * *

**10th January 2012**  
**Miami Metro Police Department**  
**8:04 AM**

Special Agent Pelle Cophs was sitting in his officer when his phone rang. He picked it up.

**Pelle Cophs**: "Yes? ... You don't say ... Now why does that name sound so familiar? ... I'll be there within 20 minutes."

He left immediately.

* * *

**10th January 2012**  
**Guerrero Manor**  
**8:22 AM**

Police cars were parked outside the Guerrero Manor. Rose Guerrero, daughter of Carlos was there, crying... Agent Cophs arrived as one of the officers was talking to Rose.

**Rose**: "Please, officer, find my daddy. I know he did some bad things, but he deserves a chance to live."  
**Officer**: "We're working as hard as we can, rest assured we will find out what happened to your father."  
Pelle Cophs pulled out his badge.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Agent Pelle Cophs, FBI, I'll take it over from here, officer."  
**Officer**: "FBI? What's the bureau's interest in this case?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I'm investigating the murder of Police Captain Maria LaGuerta. I believe this case may be connected."  
**Officer**: "Alright."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Officer, tell me everything you know so far about this case."  
**Officer**: "We were called by Rose Guerrero, Carlos Guerrero's daughter. She reported him missing, last seen Saturday, that's 7th January.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Interesting... I know who Carlos Guerrero is, he was convicted of abducting and attempting to murder Sergeant James Doakes 5 years ago."  
**Officer**: "James Doakes? The Bay Harbor Butcher?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "That's correct, officer. Served 5 years until paroled recently. He's also been suspected of drug trafficking, conspiracy and murder over the years, but never proven. Have you interviewed Carlos' bodyguards or driver?"  
**Officer**: "They won't say a word. Code of the streets."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "We'll see about that. I'm going to have a word with Rose first, she's never been involved in the 'family business' so she's probably the only one willing to answer questions."

Cophs went to interview Rose.

**Pelle Cophs**: "Miss Guerrero, I'm Special Agent Pelle Cophs, I'd like to talk about your father's disappearance."  
She was still sobbing.  
**Rose**: "Sure..."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "When did you last see him?"  
**Rose**: "Last Saturday. Spoke to him at around noon, I think. He dropped me off at Miami Central Mall, then left."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Did anyone see him after that?"  
**Rose**: "My father has two bodyguards at all times. Jose Alejandro Garcia and Miguel Santiago. His personal drive is Antonio Santiago, Miguel's brother."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Thank you, Rose, I'll take it from here, go inside while I interview them."

She went inside. Pelle Cophs went to interview the driver and bodyguards.

**Pelle Cophs**: "Special Agent Pelle Cophs, FBI, I'd like to ask you a few questions."  
The three men did not say a word.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Why is your boss missing? You were the last three known people to see him."  
The men again refused to respond.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I asked you a question."  
Antonio Santiago broke the silence and responded.  
**Antonio**: "We don't like cops or feds, so how's about you fuck off, pendejo?"  
**Jose Alejandro Garcia**: "Are we under arrest? No? Then we are free to go."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Alright tough guys, you think you're so smart? You, over there..." he said, pointing to Miguel "You're awfully quiet and nervous. You're coming with me."  
Miguel was not the brightest of them so he responded with violence. Pelle immediately had him subdued and took him to a squad car where he would question him.

**Pelle Cophs**: "Alright, asshole, the way I see it, you're looking at 5 years minimum in the can for assaulting a federal agent and that's just getting started."  
Miguel still did not say a word.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Still quiet? Code of the streets, eh? Let's see just how loyal you really are to it. Because we found drugs in the back of your vehicle, which is co-owned by your brother Antonio. You might still get off easily, but your brother could be back in a prison for a much longer time due to parole violation."  
**Miguel**: "Fuck you!"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Oh? 'Fuck you!' That's the best comeback you could come up with you dumb half-witted drug pedaling fuck? Well, it can get much worse for you and your family. If you don't start cooperating soon, I will hand over your mother's file to Immigration Services and have her deported. And that wife of yours, Graciela? I can have her dragged downtown in handcuffs and interrogated real hard, with the cameras off, who knows what other details about your life I will find."  
**Miguel**: "Please no." he said, visibly softened up.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "What's that? You surrender Mr. Santiago? Here's the deal. Tell me what happened to your boss and you won't have a problem with me. Off the record of course, what happened to Mr. Carlos Guerrero?"  
**Miguel**: "Okay. Okay. No more. It was Saturday night, around midnight I think. We were driving Carlos home and when he got a strange phone call and started panicking. Something about his daughter Rose, we couldn't understand what was said. He ordered us to stop the car and told us to drive away. That's the last we saw of him."  
An officer signaled Cophs to come into the manor.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Wait here a moment."  
There it was in the hall. A suitcase filled with 100.000$ in cash.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Well, this is something worth looking into."

Pelle Cophs took out his cell phone to make an important call to the Records and Identification Bureau.

**Pelle Cophs**: "This is Special Agent Pelle Cophs, badge number 1249."  
**Records and Identification Bureau**: "How may I help you, Agent Cophs?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I'd like to check all recent banking activity of a Mr. Carlos Guerrero."  
**Records and Identification Bureau**: "One moment, Agent Cophs ... Carlos Guerrero withdrew 100.000$ in cash from an ATM run by the Miami First National Bank at 0:37 AM, 8th of January 2012. No further activity after that."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Thank you, I'll take it from here."

Who the hell takes out that much cash at such an hour he asked himself. Did his driver and bodyguards coerce him? If so, why was the money returned? There was much more to find out about this so Pelle Cophs insisted on interviewing Miguel's brother, Antonio. He would have to play it a bit deceptively to get Antonio to talk.

**Pelle Cophs**: "You know, Antonio, I get it that you don't like to talk to me, but your brother, Miguel? The way I see it, he coerced your boss into withdrawing 100.000$ in cash. And then her murdered him and disposed of the body."  
Antonio was nervous.  
**Antonio**: "No, that never happened."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You're lying Antonio, we found a briefcase full of that money in Miguel's possession."  
**Antonio**: "Bullshit, you don't have any briefcase."  
Pelle Cophs went to grab the briefcase and opened it right in front of him.  
**Antonio**: "Dios mio! No, Miguel would never be so reckless to pull a stunt like that. You're only trying to frame him."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Antonio, you better start cooperating with me or I'll see to it that your brother gets 25-to-life."  
**Antonio**: "Jesus, okay man, I'll tell you what really happened, I'll answer all your questions, just leave my brother out of this and don't tell anyone else I talked."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I'm all ears."  
**Antonio**: "Miguel was with us the night Carlos disappeared, it couldn't have been him. Look man, Carlos freaked out after a phone call and left us. It was around midnight."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Mr. Guerrero withdrew 100.000$ in cash at 0:37 AM. Do you know anything about that?"  
**Antonio**: "No! How could we? Even if we stole it you think we'd leave it around here for you to find it?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Next question, does Mr. Guerrero often panic like that?"  
**Antonio**: "Never!"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You're lying, Antonio, you've been his driver for at least 10 years, you must know more than that."  
**Antonio**: "Okay, I only ever seen him panic on three occasions. Just three."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Really?"  
**Antonio**: "One time when Rose, his daughter, was sick, another time when Rose was in hospital and finally..."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Yes?"  
**Antonio**: "There was this random shootout at a restaurant 2 years ago. That made Carlos worry for a while but only because he thought Rose was in the restaurant. She wasn't actually, but being locked up... news doesn't get around so easy."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Hmm, I'm seeing a pattern here. He seems to have a weakness for his daughter. What can you tell me about the phone call Guerrero received the night he disappeared?"  
**Antonio**: "I dunno, but it was a heated discussion with his yelling something about Rose and giving her back."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "But, Rose is safe."  
**Antonio**: "That's all I know I swear."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Thank you for your time, Mr. Santiago. If you're lying I'll find out."

Pelle Cophs called R&I again and found out that Guerrero had made several calls to Rose the night he disappeared. He went to interview Rose a second time.

**Pelle Cophs**: "Rose, I need to ask you some very delicate questions."  
**Rose**: "Delicate questions? What do you mean?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Did you know your father made some calls to you at around midnight, the night before he disappeared?"  
**Rose**: "I'm sorry I don't know anything about that. I fell asleep at around 11:00 PM."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Was your phone stolen?"  
**Rose**: "Not that I know of, I found it in the exact spot I left it when I woke up at 8:30 AM."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Rose, did you know your father withdrew 100.000$ in cash and that cash somehow found its way here?"  
**Rose**: "No... what's going on?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Did you know your father got a call from a disposable cell phone the night he disappeared? The person on the other side threatened him with something, Rose, he was talking about harming you in some way. That's when your father got out of the car and was never seen again."  
**Rose**: "Oh my God!" she started crying again. "But I don't know anything about that."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Do you have a boyfriend, Rose?"  
**Rose**: "No, broke up with my last one months ago."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Was he abusive or manipulative to you in any way?"  
**Rose**: "No, we broke up but remained on extremely good terms. He would never be involved in something like this."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Rose, this is purely hypothetical but, what are the odds that you and your ex-boyfriend faked an abduction to get his money?"  
**Rose**: "No! That's absurd, mister. I would never..."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "And then you killed him. You killed him because he's a bad person, a drug trafficker and murderer. You couldn't stand the sight of him so you eliminated him."  
**Rose**: "No! No! No! No! No! I would never do that to my own daddy! You know, I'm Catholic, I take my faith seriously and my father may not have been the perfect man but he was no abusive father."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Thought so, Rose. Truth is, I'm only testing you. My duty requires that I leave no stones unturned. Do you know a Sergeant James Doakes?"  
**Rose**: "Yeah! Everyone in America knows him, the Bay Harbor Butcher. He came to our church once and accused my father of being a murderer. Said he would never play by the rules. But isn't he dead?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "He is, Rose. His accomplice might not. Now, my final questions to you are, does your phone company record GPS data?"  
**Rose**: "No, every time we bought a new phone my father specifically rejected that feature."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I'm not surprised. Your father was a very bad man. He didn't want anybody recording his whereabouts."  
**Rose**: "How can you judge him? You don't know him."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Were you kidnapped or threatened in any way on the night your father disappeared?"  
**Rose**: "No, I was in bed the entire time."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I am working out a theory of what might have happened that night, but I need a blood sample from you urgently and I need your full consent. Without it, I don't believe I can pursue this theory further."  
**Rose**: "Okay, anything to find out what happened to my father."

* * *

**10th January 2012**  
**Miami Metro Police Department, Computer Crimes Division**  
**1:04 PM**

**Attorney Salzman**: "Lieutenant Harold Maine, your department is a disgrace, arresting my client on evidence that can't even be found let alone verified. As such, I have filed for the immediate release of my client Edward Giles. Read it and weep." The judge ordered his immediate release.  
**Harold Maine**: "Very well, Miss Salzman."  
**Edward**: "Yes! I'm free!" he said with excitement.  
**Attorney Salzman**: "Don't say another word, Edward, it's time to leave."

Outside me and Deb were waiting for him.

**Edward**: "Thank you Martin. Thank you Brenda. I will gladly take care of this problem you have."  
**Debra**: "Yeah, you fucking better, we haven't torched that laptop yet."  
**Edward**: "Rest assured, nobody will ever see that company's GPS records ever again. I'm a professional at this."  
**Dexter**: "Good. Call this number when you're done." I hand him over the number to one of my untraceable disposable cell phones  
**Edward**: "Great" He smiled. "Catch you later."

He then left. I still had several hours of work, but I managed to set up a kill room later that day around 6 PM.

* * *

**10th January 2012**  
**Debra's Home**  
**8:20 PM**

Later that night me and Deb were waiting for Edward to call, telling us that the problem had been taken care of. And it happened.

**Dexter**: "Hello.  
**Edward**: "I've taken care of that problem, Martin."  
**Dexter**: "Good."  
**Edward**: "You'll... destroy that laptop for me now right?"  
**Dexter**: "Yes. If possible we need to meet once more..."

I texted him the address and he came at about 9 o'clock. Deb insisted on coming with me to help. She knew the case better so I trusted her with making all the necessary arrangements, the news stories about the dead women, their pictures, names, everything.

* * *

**10th January 2012**  
**Undisclosed Warehouse, Miami**  
**9:29 PM**

There he is, waiting for us. He is quickly subdued with a dose of M-99 and wrapped in plastic within minutes. He would wake up several hours later. Meanwhile, Debra grew restless.

**Debra**: "Dex, what gives? Kill him and let's be done with it."  
**Dexter**: "No, not yet. It isn't time. He must be awake."  
**Debra**: "Do you always do this? What's with this long-ass fucking voodoo ritual?"  
**Dexter**: "He's a murderer. He must know what he has done before I plunge my knife into his heart."  
**Debra**: "Is that it? You like seeing the terror in their eyes before they die? So it really has nothing at all to do with justice. Jesus fucking Christ, Dex, you're sicker than I thought."  
**Dexter**: "Deb, go home. You shouldn't be here, I got this."  
**Debra**: "No! We're in it together this time."

Edward Giles soon regains consciousness.

**Dexter**: "Wake up, Edward Giles!"  
**Edward**: "Martin!? Brenda!? What gives, what have you done to me, why am I naked and restrained on a table? Help!"  
**Debra**: "You know why you're fucking here. Dex, this fucking ritual of yours is taking way too long just fucking kill Edward and let's get out of here before anyone turns up." Nervous as always, but that lack of inhibition to kill I found... disturbing. She's always hesitated. Ray Speltzer, LaGuerta, what changed now?  
**Edward**: "I don't know why I'm here!" he yells out hysterically.  
**Dexter**: "The women in those photos? You raped and killed them. So now you must pay for what you've done."  
**Edward**: "Kill? What are you talking about? I've never hurt anyone."  
**Dexter**: "You're in denial, it's not going to help you." I said as I prepared to plunge a sharp object into his frail and soon to be lifeless body.  
**Edward**: "Look, look, I do recognize those women but I never hurt them. Yes, they both died close to home, but..."

Debra grabbed a piece of cloth and stuffed it into his mouth before he could speak any further.

**Dexter**: "Deb, this is not how I do things, I need to control this." I said, removing that piece of cloth from his mouth. Debra was not pleased.  
**Edward**: "Listen! Please! I followed the news of those murders, the real killer has been caught for months, do you understand me? Caught!"  
**Dexter**: "What are you talking about?"  
**Edward**: "Some guy called Fred Sherman, he's the real killer, the FBI got him months ago. You're making a huge mistake. Look him up. The guy even confessed."

He didn't appear to be lying. But I must admit, I never researched the case myself, I let Deb do it for me. I put the knife down and quickly log on a news site from my phone. He isn't lying. This Fred Sherman was the real murderer. Debra has deceived me to get me to kill a witness. I turn my look to her.

**Dexter**: "Deb? Did you lie to me about who Edward Giles was?"  
Debra begins weeping.  
**Debra**: "Yes..."  
**Dexter**: "He doesn't meet the code."  
**Debra**: "Exactly, Dex, I knew you wouldn't approve and after all we've been through I just couldn't let you leave a witness."  
**Edward**: "Get me down form here you two psychos! Let me go! Let me go!"  
**Dexter**: "Deb, I can't kill any more innocent people..."  
**Debra**: "No..." she said, followed by a long pause. "But I..."

She then grabbed my knife and stabbed Edward in the chest.

**Debra**: "I can, Dex..."  
**Dexter**: "Deb..."  
**Debra**: "Yes, Dexter?"  
**Dexter**: "Who are you now?"

Ever since New Years Eve I've been asking myself that question. 'Who is Deb now?' What is Deb now? If I still believed in such a thing as a 'dark passenger' I would also ask myself... is she developing one?


	7. Hello, Joseph Quinn

**_3rd June 2012_**  
**_Dexter's Apartment_**  
**_8:22 AM_**

_**SWAT Unit**__: "Go! Go! Go!"_

_..._

_**Pelle Cophs**__: "Dexter Morgan, you are under arrest on multiple counts of premeditated murder, accessory to murder, kidnapping, conspiracy and fraud. You have the right to..."_

_..._

* * *

**_14th May 2013_**  
**_Florida State Court, USA_**  
**_4:18 PM_**

_**Reporter**__: "...as we are waiting outside the courthouse for the verdict in what is surely the biggest criminal case in the history of..." _

_..._

_**Protester No. 1**__: "Free the Dark Defender! Free Dexter Morgan!"_  
_**Protester No. 2**__: "Morgan took out the trash that you ungrateful fascist pigs couldn't!"_

_..._

_**Prosecutor Gellarman**__: "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you have all seen the overwhelming evidence of Mr. Morgan's wrongdoings. In my closing statement, I'd just like to say that, whatever crimes the victims of these hideous acts of vigilante murder may or may not have committed, it is important to remember that no man is above the law or the Constitution of the United States of America."_

I would often dream of what the future had in store for me in great detail, of how my life as a serial killer, the Bay Harbor Butcher, would come to an end...

_..._

_**Judge Orwald**__: "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?"_  
_**Juror No. 1, Stanley Ambers**__: "Yes, your Honor, we have. We find the defendant, Dexter Morgan, guilty of all counts on the indictment."_

It almost never turned out well. No happy ending. Of all the end game scenarios fabricated in my mind, I'd typically get killed or caught... or both... Sometimes I'd be able to run away to a distant third world country where nobody would find me, at least not for ten years or so... But in doing so I'd be leaving Deb, Harrison, my whole family, my career behind...

_..._

_**Judge Orwald**__: "The court finds that the mitigating circumstances are far outweighed by the aggravating ones, considering that you, Dexter Morgan, a forensics expert abused your position as a blood-spatter analyst within the Miami Metro Police Department to obtain personal information of your victims and use that information in order to stalk and murder them in cold blood. What also adds to the gravity of the situation is that someone with a career in law enforcement such as yourself should clearly understand the importance of the rule of law. Neither were your intentions truly rooted in justice."_

This time, I fear something else.

_..._

_**Judge Orwald**__: "Dexter Morgan, for your crimes against the state of Florida and against the whole of the United States of America, this court hereby sentences you to death by means of lethal injection."_

No. Not that. I have to make sure that Debra is never dragged down with me. Rule number one, don't let Debra get caught.

_..._

_**Judge Orwald**__: "Debra Morgan, this court sentences you to life imprisonment without possibility of parole due to accessory to the murder of Travis Marshall as well as the murder of Police Captain Maria LaGuerta."_  
_**Dexter**__: "No!"_

**Dexter**: "No!" I awake at last, shaken a bit.

* * *

**11th January 2012**  
**Dexter's Apartment**  
**8:02 AM**

'What have I done?' I thought to myself still remembering the incident from last night. It's one thing to be an accessory to murder after the fact, but to rapidly progress into second degree murder, then into the kind of premeditated murder that even Harry would never approve of... I've created a monster... Still, she's a lot more human than I am, far more emotional and prone to mistakes, I can only hope to control her darkness now. But what could have caused such a fundamental shift in her priorities? Then it hit me. I remembered what she said a month ago.

_**Debra**__: "...I'm in love with you!"_

* * *

**11th January 2012**  
**Debra's Home**  
**8:58 AM**

I knock on the door.

**Debra**: "Dex, what are you doing here? We should be getting ready for work."  
**Dexter**: "We need to talk."  
**Debra**: "About what?"  
**Dexter**: "About you, Deb. About what you said a while ago, that you're 'in love' with me."  
**Debra**: "Yes..." Tears appeared in her eyes.  
**Dexter**: "So this is what it's all about isn't it? Why you kill for me and why you kept Hannah from me..."  
**Debra**: "Dexter, she fucking poisoned me!" she objected.  
**Dexter**: "She wouldn't have before you pushed. Deb, you know that me and you, we could never be together. We might not be biological brothers, but I just don't don't feel the same way."  
Debra didn't respond.  
**Dexter**: "Deb, do you... really care that much about putting Hannah away? Is it truly justice that drives you?"  
**Debra**: "No, Dexter, for fuck's sake, but it's not selfishness either. Even without me, Hannah would still be a threat to you, to Harrison, to everyone around her. She's never had a boyfriend that she didn't betray and she's got the same urge to kill as you do. You'll never contain that indefinitely."  
**Dexter**: "I must try at least, Deb. Help me make this right. Make a truce with Hannah."  
**Debra**: "And what about your family?"

I thought long and hard about it and in the end came to this decision.

**Dexter**: "Deb, trust me. Let Hannah go free. I have a way to verify once and for all if she's loyal or not."  
**Debra**: "And how do we do that? Remove the pen from evidence? Don't we have more than enough on our plate now?"  
**Dexter**: "We'll replace it with a normal pen. The case will fall apart. They'll have to let her go."  
**Debra**: "She's a fucking fugitive, Dex. Even if the case is dismissed, she'll still have to face charges for breaking out of custody."  
**Dexter**: "Still better than facing life without parole."  
**Debra**: "And how the fuck are we going to find her? She could be all the way to fucking Argentina by now."  
**Dexter**: "Remember that plant she sent? Yeah, there was a note with an address written down on the bottom. I think I know how to find her."  
**Debra**: "Well, it's not going to happen today, we got plenty of cases to solve back at work. We should get going."

Things were pretty quiet for the rest of the day, I didn't see Agent Cophs around that day but I could feel his presence, snooping around the city of Miami, getting closer to the truth...

* * *

**11th January 2012**  
**Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Headquarters**  
**10:11 AM**

**Laboratory Analyst**: "Sir, I have the results on the blood sample you requested."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Okay, what have we got?"  
**Laboratory Analyst**: "Small traces of M-99, sir. Everything else looks normal."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Son of a... Alright, thank you for your help, I'll take it from here."  
**Laboratory Analyst**: "You're welcome, sir."

* * *

**12th January 2012**  
**Miami Metro Police Department, Homicide**  
**9:59 AM**

**Pelle Cophs**: "So, Lieutenant Debra Morgan, I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me."  
**Debra**: "Sure, I'll do my best." she said slightly nervous.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Where were you on the night that Captain Maria LeGuerta was killed?"  
**Debra**: "I was at Sergeant Angel Batista's party." Cophs looked at her with deep incredulity.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You were there all night? Why are you withholding information from me, miss? All the witnesses I've interviewed said you left at around 11:00 PM and came back to the party shortly before midnight. What happened during that one hour window? Tell me." he demanded.  
**Debra**: "I went to get my brother, Dexter."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Dexter... Of course. And why did he not come sooner? For that matter, why didn't LaGuerta come sooner, or at all? Sergeant Batista can testify to inviting both of them along with many others in your department. They were the only two who didn't show up on their own... All of this seems very suspicious to me..."  
**Debra**: "Look, there had been a lot of tension between Dex and Maria. They wanted to avoid each other for a while until things cooled down."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "And how about the tension between yourself and Maria LaGuerta? What can you tell me about that."  
**Debra**: "I don't know what you mean, Agent Cophs."

Agent Cophs did not take too kindly to that answer.

**Pelle Cophs**: "You're full of shit, Morgan. Alright, I'm just going to call it out. What? You did not know she had a search warrant issued on your and your brother's cellphones to track the GPS data on the night of Travis Marshall's death?"  
**Debra**: "What? She did?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Don't play dumb, I can see right through you. You're lying about something. Now, you wanna know another big fucking coincidence I can't understand?"  
**Debra**: "..."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I actually pursued the search warrants myself earlier this morning. Warrants that I would have found earlier by the way had LaGuerta's house not burned down under suspicious circumstances. Turns out, there's no GPS data to track at all. It was all 'mysteriously' erased from the system following a cyber attack. And following the release of a suspected hacker due the disappearance of vital evidence."  
**Debra**: "Well, I wouldn't know anything about that."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Edward Giles. Does that name ring any bell? Strangely, I couldn't get ahold of him at all yesterday. Another strange fucking disapperance."  
**Debra**: "Agent Cophs, this is borderline harassment and I won't stand another fucking second of this. I have done nothing wrong. My brother has done nothing wrong. This department has done nothing wrong!" she yelled back at the man.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Yes, of course, nobody here has done anything wrong despite the trail of statistically improbable coincidences, suspicious behavior and lack of cooperation with a federal investigation."

Pelle Cophs took out his notebook.

**Pelle Cophs**: "What can you tell me about Mr. Raymond Speltzer? Your co-workers tell me you had a particular interest in putting him away."  
**Debra**: "He was scum. We investigated him for a series of murders, but the charges didn't stick due to some legal technicalities."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "And yet he left his job at the cemetery without notice, left his trailer behind, left his money behind, and skipped town never to be seen again? What kind of person does that?"  
**Debra**: "Yeah, it seems strange, but what am I? Speltzer's keeper?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Lieutenant, so you aren't aware of the pattern of disappearances linked to this department? Isaak Sirko, Victor Baskov, Jordan Chase and that's just scratching the surface." Agent Cophs neatly puts his noteback back in his pocket. She opened her mouth but no words came out. "We are done... for now."

He walked out of Debra's office.

* * *

**12th January 2012**  
**Miami Metro Police Department, Homicide**  
**3:11 PM**

Later that day he would interview Joey Quinn once again.

**Quinn**: "You wanted to see me, sir?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Yes, have a seat, detective. I hope you are a bit more cooperative than the last time I interviewed you. You'd be surprised to find out what I know about you."  
**Quinn**: "Sure, I'll do my best."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Let's go over this again, what do you make of Captain Maria LaGuerta's murder?"  
**Quinn**: "Nothing..."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I figured you'd say that. Mr. Quinn, have you ever met Sergeant James Doakes, the Bay Harbor Butcher, in person?"  
**Quinn**: "No, sir, I haven't. I was practically sent to replace him after his death."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "True, and yet I just can't get over the fact that you seemed so evasive in your responses the last time we talked."  
**Quinn**: "Sir, I don't know what you're implying."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Mr. Quinn why are you covering for the Morgans? I think you know something that nobody else knows and you don't want to reveal it."  
**Quinn**: "I don't know what you're talking about." he looked nervous.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Why are you lying to me, Quinn?"  
**Quinn**: "How can you prove that I am? This is going nowhere."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I know that you were romantically involved with Debra Morgan. Your co-workers can testify to that if needed. That's why you're covering for her and her brother. Confess!"  
**Quinn**: "So? That proves nothing."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Joey Joey boy, you think are so smart. Let's change the subject for a moment, maybe you'll feel more cooperative after this. Let's talk about your recent shooting."  
**Quinn**: "I'm sure you've seen the report. George Novikov tried to shot me so I shot him back. It was self-defense, end of story."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Is it now? And on what authority did you enter Mr. Novikov's office at The Foxhole? You didn't really have any probable cause or warrant."  
Quinn didn't answer.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You know it's funny because Sergeant Doakes also had a habit of shooting some of his victims and covering it up as self-defense. And he was partnered with the same Angel Batista... You know, those Koshka thugs? They rarely talk. But the girls there were a lot more cooperative. Now, are you going to tell me what I want to hear? Or, do I have to go all the way to Las Vegas, drag your ex-girlfriend Nadia downtown in handcuffs and interrogate her real hard about the incident? You and Sergeant Batista could both go down for this."  
**Quinn**: "Leave her out of this!" he demanded.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I think I hit a nerve. You know many of those girls can also testify that you assaulted Mr. Novikov days before you shot him in his office. How do you think that would look in court?"  
**Quinn**: "I didn't do anything wrong!"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You're lying through your teeth, Joseph Quinn, the truth is you're a crooked cop who did odd jobs for Novikov. But you got romantically involved with one of his Foxhole strippers and he used her to blackmail you."  
**Quinn**: "No! You can't prove any of that ever happened!" he interrupted but Cophs continued.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "So you killed him and then shot yourself in the arm to make it look like self-defense and made Batista go along with it."  
**Quinn**: "You do not have a shred of evidence to support your nutty conspiracy theories."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "That's where you're absolutely wrong."

Agent Cophs pulled out an audio recorder.

**Pelle Cophs**: "This was seized from one of Novikov's properties. Do you need me to play it for you?"

Quinn became increasingly nervous.

**Quinn**: "That's... not really necessary."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You know I'm the only person still alive to have heard its contents. Things don't look too good for you, detective Quinn. You took dirty money from Novikov, you tampered with the evidence against Isaak Sirko, and you most certainly murdered Novikov to save your girlfriend as well as cover your own tracks. I could arrest you right here, right now if I wanted to. So you better tell me everything."  
**Quinn**: "Alright, you've made your point, what is it that you want to know, Agent Cophs?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Let's start with the Trinity Killer case, back in 2009, back when Trinity allegedly murdered Rita Morgan, Dexter Morgan's wife and disappeared. You know I have your file from bureau, you were suspended without pay for breaching a witness protection protocol by contacting Jonah Mitchell, son of the Trinity Killer, Arthur Mitchell. Why?"  
**Quinn**: "Okay, the truth is, I had these theories. Rita's death looks suspicious."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Tell me about it."  
**Quinn**: "It didn't match Trinity's victim pattern, he only killed single, very young women in bathtubs. If Rita had been a random target she would have been forced to jump off a building instead."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Yes, please go on. Don't stop."  
**Quinn**: "Right, the way I saw it I had two suspicions. One, that Dexter killed his wife to get revenge for flirting with a neighbor."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Interesting, do you have name?"  
**Quinn**: "Elliot Peters, his home was right next to Rita's."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I must admit, my colleagues in the bureau dismissed Morgan as a suspect quite early. I on the other hand am not so forgiving. Anything else that lead you to suspect this?"  
**Quinn**: "His 911 call seemed unusual for someone who had just lost his wife. Very emotionally detached... Almost borderline sociopathic."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "I see. Circumstantial. So what's your other theory?"  
**Quinn**: "Kyle Butler, the man that used to hang around Arthur Mitchell?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Yes, we know of him. We concluded that Trinity murdered him but we never discovered what was the relationship between them."  
**Quinn**: "Not that guy, he was completely unrelated. I think Kyle Butler is the alias Dexter Morgan used around the Mitchell family. Kyle Butler and Dexter Morgan are one and the same. Trinity didn't know that at first so that's why he went after the real Kyle Butler. But by the the time he realized he wasn't his guy it was too late, he had to get rid of the witness. A case of mistaken identity."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "And why would Mr. Morgan... yes of course, it all makes sense now..." Agent Cophs said as he sat in his chair thinking.  
**Quinn**: "Are we finished here, sir?"  
**Pelle Cophs**: "No. There's still much to cover. Don't even think about getting off that chair. Now, let's move on to this guy." he said as he pulled out a file of a very familiar disgraced ex-detective. "Stan Liddy. You were arrested for his murder but cleared as a suspect. And yet you never cooperated with the investigation."  
**Quinn**: "Yes, it's called the right to remain silent."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Cut the bullshit, why is Stan Liddy dead?"  
**Quinn**: "I don't know."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "There you go again lying, Quinn. One more lie out of you and your career is over. Surveillance-related equipment was found in his van that was traced back to you. Multiple phone calls were made between the two of you in the final days leading to his murder."  
**Quinn**: "Alright! I hired him as a private investigator to pursue Dexter Morgan and his new female friend."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You mean girlfriend? That sounds like an awfully short time to start a new relationship after your wife has just been brutally murdered. Who is this woman? And don't you think it's a bit strange that Liddy was murdered in his van and much of his surveillance equipment stolen?"  
**Quinn**: "Look, Dexter's a lab geek, I very much doubt he would be able to subdue Stan."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You're wrong. He's trained in martial arts. I looked into his background. And you forgot the girl, who is she?"  
**Quinn**: "I can't remember her name it was Loo-something..."  
Pelle Cophs pounded the desk with his fist in anger.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You expect me to believe that you hired a private investigator, probably payed hundreds of dollars and can't remember simple details? I need to know who this woman is."  
**Quinn**: "I really wish I could help you Agent Cophs, but it's been years since that happened. I've moved on."

Pelle Cophs stood silent for a few seconds just staring into Quinn's eyes.

**Pelle Cophs**: "I don't believe you. You know more than you're telling me, but we're making progress so I'll let you go for now. But you better have something for me soon if you want to keep your job and your freedom. My advice, Mr. Quinn? Don't try to leave town."

Quinn walked out of Cophs' office without saying a word.


	8. What You Do in the Dark

**13th January 2012**  
**Miami Metro Police Department, Homicide**  
**10:04 AM**

That morning I was called into Cophs' office again. He had been spending a lot of time interviewing my co-workers back and forth, trying to get to the truth. He clearly did not find any concrete evidence or me and Deb would be in custody already.

**Pelle Cophs:** "Mr. Morgan, there is much we need to discuss."  
**Dexter:** "Okay."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Let's talk about your childhood. You were born a physically and mentally healthy child to a Laura Moser in 1971."  
**Dexter:** "That is correct, yes."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "But as a young child you witnessed the brutal murder of your mother at the hands of Santos Jimenez and two other men, Lipsey and Welsh, all three were acting on orders of Hector Estrada. Your older brother Brian Moser was with you, for three days you two sat in a pool of your mother's blood and look how that changed him. He grew up to become the Ice Truck Killer. What are the odds that you were also changed?"  
**Dexter:** "What does that have to do with me, am I now responsible for the deeds of my brother?"  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Two of these men disappeared and we have good reason to believe Jimenez was killed by Sergeant James Doakes when he took over his rented cabin in the Everglades. But why would he do that?"  
**Dexter:** "Because he's a vigilante?"  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Doakes apparently didn't like you much. Why would he go through all this trouble to avenge your mother?"  
**Dexter:** "I guess his sense of personal justice was much stronger than his dislike of me."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Mr. Morgan, Doakes' funeral was largely unattended, except for five people. Three of them were immediate family, mother and two sisters, the other two, Maria LaGuerta and you... Explain this to me."  
**Dexter:** "Well, I don't harbor any grudges."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "You know, this is typical. The Behavioral Analysis Unit sent me a profile this morning. If the Bay Harbor Butcher represents a team of killers rather than one killer, it would have one dominant side and a very loyal, submissive one. You're Doakes' little bitch apprentice aren't you? That's why he was always mean to you and only to you."  
**Dexter:** "Look, I'm not the Bay Harbor Butcher, nor have I ever worked with him. This is crazy."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Of course we also have a third person doing time, life without possibility of parole so he doesn't count because he's virtually untouchable. And then we have the mastermind, Hector Estrada who died in a suspicious shooting along with Maria LaGuerta. You really have nothing to comment on this other than what we already know?"  
**Dexter:** "No."

Pelle Cophs pulled out another case file.

**Pelle Cophs:** "Let's talk about your wife, Rita Morgan. Did you love her, Mr. Morgan?"  
**Dexter:** "Yes."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Your 911 call could only be accurately described as 'ice cold', very emotionally detached. It's as if you were submitting a forensics report of a total stranger. Your neighbor Elliot Peters cried crocodile tears while you stood there with a blank stare on your face. The FBI has witnesses that can confirm to you saying 'It was me.' You failed to show up for your first interview with the FBI and Rita didn't exactly match Trinity's victimology. Now what do you have to say for yourself?"  
**Dexter:** "Your colleagues in the FBI cleared me. I was part of the raid at the Mitchells' house when it happened."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Yes, my colleagues can be a bit sloppy, but in truth? I looked more closely into it and you have no alibi at all. The raid commenced at 2:00 PM and ended around 5:30 PM. But the exact time of your wife's death is unknown. Could have been any hour between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM."  
**Dexter:** "I didn't kill my wife!" I protested.  
**Pelle Cophs:** "You're lying, Morgan! There are too many coincidences in this story for me to believe that this was just a random attack."  
**Dexter:** "You say one more word and I will..." I was very angry.  
**Pelle Cophs:** "You will what? The truth is you hated the bitch because of her moment of indiscretion with your neighbor Elliot. Your pride was hurt. You hated her so much that you came home, hit her and then dragged her into the bathtub and sliced her femoral artery hoping to replicate Trinity's MO."  
**Dexter:** "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" I screamed so hard that all eyes in the offices were upon us. I could strangle this man on the spot. Pelle simply smiled.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You are a violent man, Mr. Morgan and it shows. Your daily mild-mannered lab geek routine? It's all a charade. There is a darkness inside of you barely held in check and all I needed to do to expose that was to push the right buttons..."  
**Dexter**: "So this is what's all about? Provocation?" He was taunting me. Playing mind games. Damn, he's good.  
**Pelle Cophs**: "Do you have a criminal record, Mr. Morgan?"  
**Dexter**: "No, I don't."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You might not have a single conviction, but you were arrested back in 2009 for a minor hit-and-run incident, around the same time your wife was murdered by the way. No charges were ever brought although the report does say you reacted rather, well, disorderly... Why were you in such a hurry?"  
**Dexter**: "That's none of your damn business."  
**Pelle Cophs**: "You really don't want to get too confrontational with me, Mr. Morgan. Either you killed your wife or Trinity took revenge on you for some reason. This was no random attack. You knew Trinity personally. Isn't that right, Kyle Butler?"

I hesitated for a moment to respond, Cophs noticed.

**Dexter:** "I don't know what you're talking about. I never knew Arthur Mitchell."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Bullshit! I can tell you're lying. Maybe you'll be a bit more cooperative once I interrogate Jonah Mitchell and get him to finger you as Kyle Butler, what do you say?"  
**Dexter:** "If I was Kyle Butler, don't you think he would have said so by now?"  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Human psychology is not that simple, I think you know this all too well. Moving on, did you know that Arthur Mitchell 'mysteriously' disappeared following your wife's death? Nobody ever heard of him ever again."  
**Dexter:** "Actually no, Agent Cophs, you're wrong on this one. Trinity came back and killed his own wife and daughter in 2011."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Oh, you think you're so smart, Dexter Morgan? No, his daughter committed suicide and his wife was murdered by the son, pushed down a set of stairs. Jonah confessed to everything a while ago." Shit, he confessed because of me. I pushed him. "He's now in custody in a federal prison awaiting trial for second degree murder. A generous plea bargain and I'm sure he'll give you up. You might as well tell me the truth now."  
**Dexter:** "I'm not Kyle Butler."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "We'll see about that. Let's talk about this pattern of suspicious disappearances linked to the Miami Metro Police Department, a pattern that continued after the death of the Bay Harbor Butcher."  
**Dexter:** "I wouldn't know anything about it."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "So you're not in any way involved in the disappearance of Jordan Chase? Raymond Speltzer? Isaak Sirko? Victor Baskov? Arthur Mitchell? Carlos Guerrero? Edward Giles? Or in the death of Travis Marshall? None of these names ring a bell?"  
**Dexter:** "No." Agent Pelle Cophs has extremely good instincts and is a ruthless interrogator, but he's not reckless like LaGuerta to arrest people without proof. I just have to keep denying any involvement and he'll never pin any of those murders on me.  
**Pelle Cophs:** "How do you explain this pattern of unlikely coincidences? LaGuerta suspects you as the Bay Harbor Butcher, she dies soon after. LaGuerta issues search warrants on you and your sister's mobile phones, the phone company's database is hacked and vital data permanently erased. LaGuerta's home also burns down destroying all documents linked to her and a certain hacker mysteriously disappears after being released due to evidence going missing. And on top of all this, we find traces of M-99 in Rose Guerrero's system, Carlos Guerrero's daughter. Someone abducted her to lure Carlos Guerrero away from his bodyguards. He was out on parole after serving 5 years for attacking Sergeant Doakes. The Bay Harbor Butcher may be dead, but his spirit is clearly alive and well. Or his apprentices are taking over."  
**Dexter:** "It has nothing to do with me."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Yes, of course. There are only a handful of M-99 providers in Miami. I just have to show them a few photos. They're not going to finger anyone in this department are they?"  
**Dexter:** "I told you, it's not me."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "You know, some things I don't understand. Your speech at Rita's funeral. What did you mean by 'I wasn't even human before I met Rita' or 'she was innocent'?"  
**Dexter:** "It's a figure of speech for crying out loud, Agent Cophs."  
**Pelle Cophs:** "You have a strange taste in women, from Rita, a kind and very gentle soul from what I've heard to Hannah McKay? A suspect in a murder case who also happens to have been kidnapped by one of Isaak Sirko's men and is now a fugitive from the law?"  
**Dexter:** "Are you through, Agent Cophs?"  
**Pelle Cophs:** "I've only just begun."  
**Dexter:** "No. We're through." I walked out of the office in anger.

* * *

**13th January 2012**  
**Park Central Hotel, Pelle Cophs' Room**  
**8:51 PM**

Later that night Agent Cophs was sitting in his hotel room, going through the seemingly endless case files. 'This could be the case of the century.' he thought 'If only I could find the missing piece of the puzzle... something that could be used to establish someone's guilt beyond reasonable doubt, a witness or maybe an incriminating picture'. Then the phone rang.

**Pelle Cophs:** "Special Agent Pelle Cophs, FBI, who is this?"  
**Quinn:** "Detective Quinn from Miami Metro, I have something for you, Agent Cophs, but I can't talk about it over the phone. Can you come around to my place?"  
**Pelle Cophs:** "I will be there shortly, don't try any funny business."

* * *

**13th January 2012**  
**Quinn's Apartment**  
**9:38 PM**

Quinn was waiting for Agent Cophs with several potentially compromising pictures featuring Dexter Morgan and Lumen Pierce on a boat, dumping garbage bags into the ocean.

**Pelle Cophs:** "So you finally decided to cooperate, detective Quinn?"  
**Quinn:** "Here. Take them." Pelle Cophs examined the photos carefully.  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Quinn, let me ask you a question. Why the fuck have you never come forward with these photos?"  
**Quinn:** "I..." He didn't have an excuse, he just never wanted to put Debra in a difficult situation.  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Let me guess? Debra Morgan? Figures..."  
**Quinn:** "What happens now? Are you going to arrest Dexter Morgan, Agent Cophs?"  
**Pelle Cophs:** "Who do you think I am? LaGuerta? No, this isn't nearly enough evidence to establish a connection to the Bay Harbor Butcher although it will certainly give me more than enough probable cause to proceed further. I could arrest him on charges of illegal ocean dumping, which is a federal offense, but that wouldn't be a productive course of action. He'd be free on bail the next day and have plenty of time to escape or tip off potential associates. This needs to be played safe."  
**Quinn: **"So, are we done, Agent Cophs?"

Pelle Cophs didn't answer immediately. He took the audio recorder incriminating Joey out of his coat, put it on the table and smashed it with his fist, destroying it.

**Pelle Cophs:** "Yes, we are done. Thank you for your 'cooperation'. For your sake, I hope you clean up your act. And stay out of my way, detective. You may be off the hook for now, but remember that I can still go after Nadia should you choose to interfere with the investigation. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a flight to catch tomorrow."


	9. Poison Ivy

**14th January 2012  
Dexter's Apartment  
8:03 AM**

It was Saturday, two more days off for me so I decided to follow up on Hannah's whereabouts. Although she'd been in hiding since New Years Eve, she left me a clue on where she might be found. A holiday card with Ocean Spray Hotel on it, a relatively low cost hotel for the city of Miami.

* * *

**14th January 2012  
Ocean Spray Hotel  
8:42 AM**

**Receptionist:** "Hello and welcome to Ocean Spray Hotel, how may I help you, sir?" a young woman greeted me. I normally wouldn't exploit my position within the police department while off the job but I figured these were exceptional times.  
**Dexter:** "I'm from Miami Metro Police Department." I replied, flashing my employee identification card that read 'Dexter Morgan, Forensic Technician'. I figured she wouldn't ask too many questions about it. "I'd like to see the hotel register book, please." I continued.  
**Receptionist:** "Forensics? Interesting, but highly unusual." she remarked. "We get visits from the law from time to time, typically police officers or detectives."  
**Dexter:** "Yeah I know, but we are overwhelmed with a high number of open investigations at the moment, I'm just doing what I can to help."  
**Receptionist:** "No problem." she said, opening the hotel register book to the page listing everyone who had checked in or out in the past 30 days.

Predictably there was no 'Hannah McKay' on the list, and no familiar names like 'Arlene Shram' either, too risky when she was on the lam. But she did leave a clue, something that only I would notice as being out of the ordinary, 'Debra Argentina', room 213. I went upstairs to check it out. I was right. She was there.

**Hannah:** "Hello, Dexter Morgan." that sounded oddly familiar. I closed the door behind me.  
**Dexter:** "What the hell were you thinking breaking out of jail? Now you're going to be in even more trouble than before!"  
**Hannah:** "It can't be much worse than facing a life sentence for me. I'd rather die than go to prison."  
**Dexter:** "Be careful what you wish for Hannah." Then again she never showed fear when I had her on my table.  
**Hannah:** "I don't know if you've had second thoughts, or if you've come to apprehend me or worse. But I wanted you to hear me out, Dexter."  
**Dexter:** "Okay..."  
**Hannah:** "Look, I tried to kill your sister, Debra Morgan, I admit that. I didn't want to use my usual poison, I was hoping to make it look like an accident, because she was trying to keep me away from you."  
**Dexter:** "Yes, I thought we already established that by now." she was trying to apologize. Seek my forgiveness.  
**Hannah:** "I'm sorry, Dexter." she said sobbing. "I've learned my lesson now. Can you ever forgive me?"  
**Dexter:** "This is not about forgiveness, Hannah. As much as I should feel true anger for what you tried to do, I just don't function like that. This is about me protecting my immediate family."  
**Hannah:** "I swear I will never lay a finger on your family ever again." she pleaded. "That is all I can really say. It doesn't matter anyway. Soon, I'll be out of the country and our of your life... forever."  
**Dexter:** "There is an alternative, Hannah. One last chance to make things back the way there were."  
**Hannah:** "There's no chance for me while the evidence against me exists."  
**Dexter:** "That can be taken care of. I'm more interested in you and Debra being on neutral terms. Which is why tonight we will have a little meeting, the three of us. We're going to meet in a secluded spot and sort it out."

Which is exactly what happened later that night...

* * *

**14th January 2012  
Undisclosed Secluded Location, Miami  
11:56 PM**

Me and Deb arrived earlier than expected.

**Debra:** "The fuck is taking that bitch so long? It's getting cold out here."

Speak of the devil...

**Hannah:** "You rang?"  
**Dexter:** "Hey, easy now, we're here to help settle our differences, not burn bridges."  
**Debra:** "Yeah, what is there to say?"  
**Hannah:** "Debra, I know you are angry, I just want..."  
**Debra:** "Angry? I fucking hate you with every fiber of my being. You are a murderous cunt who betrayed her everyone she ever met, poisoned innocent people and tried to fucking kill me."  
**Dexter:** "Hey, calm down, Deb."  
**Debra:** "But... seeing as how you two psychos obvioulsy deserve each other so much and seeing as how my hands haven't exactly been fucking clean either thanks to my psychopath brother, who I am trying to keep out of jail even though he doesn't deserve it, I am willing to bury the hatchet, Hannah."  
**Hannah:** "Debra, I'm sorry."  
**Debra:** "Hannah, listen to me very carefully. I will leave you alone. Really, I will. All investigations about you, gone. Fuck, I'll even turn a blind eye to any your future activities so long as you don't go too far, in which case it will probably be out of my hands anyway. But me and you, personally? We are done. I don't like you, I don't want to be around you and I don't want to know you exist."  
**Hannah:** "That works for me. You'll never see me again Debra."  
**Dexter:** "Yes, I agree. The best solution for us all is that you two never speak to each other ever again."  
**Debra:** "Oh, and Hannah? If you ever harm Dexter, or anyone else close to us, I will find you and personally shoot you like the scum bitch that you really are. You hear me?"  
**Dexter:** "Okay, okay, that's enough, Deb, you made your point."  
**Debra:** "Indeed, I have. I'll leave you two alone now to discuss other matters."

And with that she walked off without even saying goodbye. I couldn't quite tell if she was angry or jealous or both. Me and Hannah got in the car and drove off.

**Dexter:** "Hannah, listen to me very carefully. Turn yourself in. Otherwise I can't help you."  
**Hannah:** "What's your plan?" she asked.  
**Dexter:** "Your case will go before the grand jury next week. All I have to do is replace that poisoned pen with a clean one and the entire case against you will collapse. As for..." suddenly I was interrupted by a knock in the trunk of my car.  
**Unknown Person:** "Let me outta here!" a really muffled voice spoke. I knew I should have given him a stronger dose.  
**Hannah:** "What's that?"  
**Dexter:** "You're about to find out. It's a little present for you."

30 minutes later we were at the docks. I opened the trunk with the guy ready to bail. He didn't get the chance, he got knocked out. The kill room was set up in a nearby container. I had him wrapped in plastic before he could woke up.

**Hannah:** "Wow, so this is what you wanted to show me." she said, seemingly impressed.

The criminal was awake but couldn't scream as his mouth was kept shut tight with duct tape.

**Dexter:** "Hannah, meet Robert Doyle, by day a mild mannered accountant and a family man, by night..."  
**Hannah:** "A serial killer?"  
**Dexter:** "Correct. You see all these photos? These are photos of all the people that he has killed."  
**Hannah:** "Oh my..."  
**Dexter:** "You'll notice however that I did not bring any of my tools with me. This is your moment. There are no knives here, just one syringe containing poison. Oh and uh..." I remove Robert's duct tape. "Robert? Boo! I'm the Bay Harbor Butcher! The real one that is." I smiled as I watched the sheer terror in his eyes.  
**Robert:** "No!" he screams then started crying like a little baby.  
**Dexter:** "He's all yours." I said, turning to Hannah. "Put him out of his misery. Just as my father taught me to channel these urges, so too I will teach you now to channel yours."

Several hours later with the deed done and Robert neatly put to bed with the fishes...

**Hannah:** "So, what about my breaking out of custody?"  
**Dexter:** "Yes, that will be a problem, charges may be brought and there's not much I can do against that even if you get off the hook on the Sal Price murder. But even if that happens, it doesn't carry a lengthy prison term and you can be out on bail."  
**Hannah:** "Let's hope so, Dexter, let's hope so."


	10. Oceans of Evidence

Several days later...

**17th January 2012  
Miami Metro Police Department  
9:13 AM**

As I was busy in the lab going over some test results early in the morning, Debra came in.

**Debra:** "Dex, in my office, we need to talk."

So that's where we went.  
**  
Dexter:** "What?"  
**Debra:** "You know that Agent Cophs is out of town, right? That he's gone to DC?"  
**Dexter:** "I didn't know but thanks for telling me."  
**Debra:** "So... does he have anything on you?"  
**Dexter:** "Not that I know of. He obviously suspects something, but as far as I know he's got absolutely nothing to pin it on me."  
**Debra:** "Dex, I can assure you he's still on the case of LaGuerta's murder. If he's gone to DC it almost certainly means he's meeting with his superiors. This could turn ugly."  
**Dexter:** "What do you mean?"  
**Debra:** "I think you know what I mean, Dex. For one thing, he can obtain authorization to expand his investigations using additional resources, he could officially re-open the Bay Harbor Butcher case on a federal level, fuck he could just be travelling from state to state to gather witnesses. Who else knows about this?"  
**Dexter:** "Jonah Mitchell, he lives in Nebraska. It's unlikely he'll talk."  
**Debra:** "Fuck Dex, how much does he know?"  
**Dexter:** "He knows I went under the alias of Kyle Butler and that I killed Trinity. Not much else. Like I said, he could have talked a long time ago if he wanted to."  
**Debra:** "What about that ex-girlfriend of yours?"  
**Dexter:** "Lumen Pierce? There's no way, not a chance in Hell, that Agent Cophs could possibly make the connection. Even if she finds her, he'd need some pretty good evidence to make her talk. I don't think she'd cave in from just the pressure alone. She wanted those men dead as much as I."  
**Debra:** "I hope you're right, for your sake. Oh and Hannah might be getting out soon. I don't want to see her ever again, are we clear?"  
**Dexter:** "Crystal clear."

* * *

Meanwhile...

**17th January 2012  
FBI Headquarters, Washington DC  
10:01 AM**

**Supervisor Grant:** "Good to you see again, Agent Cophs" he said as the two men shook hands. "Have a seat please."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Thank you, sir."  
**Supervisor Grant:** "I understand you wanted to see me with regards to your most recent assignment, the murder of Police Captain Maria LaGuerta down in Florida."  
**Agent Cophs:** "That is correct, sir."  
**Supervisor Grant:** "Well, anything to report?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Yes, there's evidence of a deeper conspiracy at play there. Captain LaGuerta was doing a personal re-investigation of the Bay Harbor Butcher case before she died."  
**Supervisor Grant:** "Now hold on a second, Agent Cophs. The Bay Harbor Butcher, James Doakes, is dead."  
**Agent Cophs:** "During the course of my investigation into LaGuerta's murder I found evidence suggesting that the Bay Harbor Butcher had an accomplice and possibly even more than one accomplice. The disappearances did not stop after Doakes' death."  
**Supervisor Grant:** "Anyone in particular?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Yes, I actually have a pretty good idea of who it might be."  
**Supervisor Grant:** "So? Bring them in."  
**Agent Cophs:** "I need definitive proof that the crimes where even committed. And this cannot be rushed. Whoever these people are, they have managed to evade justice for at least a decade. If this is rushed, we may fail to obtain a conviction or even place other law enforcement at risk."  
**Supervisor Grant:** "What do you propose Agent Cophs?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "First, I need an official re-opening of the Bay Harbor Butcher investigation. Second, I need authorization to set up a naval task force down in Miami. I've reason to believe that the M.O. hasn't really changed much. If someone continued Doakes' legacy, it's likely we will find another mass graveyard somewhere on that ocean floor. Third, I would like to take over the unsolved Trinity case, I believe it is loosely related."  
**Supervisor Grant:** "Well, normally I wouldn't honor such a request, but you are one of our top men, you have shown time and time again to be an excellent case solver, having one of the highest clearance rate in the bureau. I have complete confidence in you, Agent Cophs so consider it done. A fleet will be assembled as soon as possible."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Thank you sir, you will see the results will be worth it."  
**Supervisor Grant:** "What about that other case, the one in Detroit?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Yes, that is a more difficult case to crack, but I've managed to keep kwnoledge of it away from most of the general public. So far only the local press has reported on it."  
**Supervisor Grant:** "Yes, good thinking. No use causing mass hysteria in America, son. Are you staying in DC for long?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "No sir, I need to get in contact with some potential witnesses in the LaGuerta case. They are not in DC or Miami."  
**Supervisor Grant:** "Alright, travel safe, Agent Cophs."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Thank you, sir." he said as he walked out of the office.

It did not take long for Agent Cophs to ID the woman in the photo next to Dexter. Lumen Pierce. Next stop, Minneapolis.

* * *

**20th January 2012  
Pierce Residence, Minneapolis, Minnesota  
1:10 PM**

There was a knock on the door. Lumen looked through the peep hole to see who it was. Ever since her traumatic experience in Miami she had been living alone and was extremely reluctant to allow strangers in. She saw a man in a suit with a federal agent's badge in his hand.

**Agent Cophs:** "Lumen Pierce, this is Special Agent Pelle Cophs of the FBI, I'd like to have a word with you." he called out.

She panicked for a moment but tried to feign being calm. After all, what could the FBI possibly have on her? Maybe it wasn't even related to the muders in Miami. She decided to open the door. There was no use hiding. He could come back with a warrant if necessary anyway.

**Lumen:** "Yes?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "May I come in?" he asked. Lumen declined.  
**Lumen:** "No, we can talk outside if you like." she was still suspicious of male strangers.  
**Agent Cophs:** "That's fine with me, Lumen. I'll try to make this quick. What is your association with Dexter Morgan?"  
**Lumen:** "I beg your pardon? I... don't know a Dexter Morgan."  
**Agent Cophs:** "You're lying, Lumen. You know who he is."  
**Lumen:** "Okay, okay, he's an ex-boyfriend from Miami. I just don't like to talk about my personal life."  
**Agent Cophs:** "No, there's more to it than that, you're lying." he said as he showed her a photo. She freaked out. "This is you, with Dexter Morgan, on a boat, dumping garbage bags into the ocean. That alone is a federal offense regardless of the contents of those bags. This doesn't look good for you, Lumen, you lie to me and I cannot help you."

Lumen burst into tears.

**Lumen:** "It's not what it looks like. Yes that was us, in Miami, but we were out fishing and throwing out excess ice."  
**Agent Cophs:** "You really think I'm going to believe that, Lumen? I think I have a pretty good idea of what happened, of what certain men lead by a certain, now missing, Jordan Chase did to you. Someone offered you an opportunity for personal justice, and you took it. Am I right?"  
**Lumen:** "I'm not saying another word to you..."  
**Agent Cophs:** "You've said enough. Lumen Pierce, I'm placing you under arrest on suspicision of violating the Marine Protection Act. You are coming downtown with me."

Two police officers accompanying Agent Cophs then had Lumen in handcuffs and read her Miranda rights. She did not resist.

* * *

**20th January 2012  
Interrogation Room, Minneapolis Police Department  
2:00 PM**

**Agent Cophs:** "Lumen, just tell the truth, make this easy on yourself. You and Dexter Morgan killed Jordan Chase and his close associates and dumped them in the ocean. Because they raped you. Because they were raping and killing other women. Because he's an accomplice of the Bay Harbor Butcher. Confess, give up Dexter Morgan, promise to testify in court against him, and I will make all the charges against you go away. All of them. This is your last chance. Nobody will ever offer you a more generous deal. You could walk out the door this very minute and I would personally have you placed in protective custody for a minimum of three months, no questions asked."

Lumen was crying and refusing to respond.

**Agent Cophs:** "Time to choose."  
**Lumen:** "Why couldn't you just let it go? These were really bad men, they didn't deserve to live! You should be out there looking for the real killers."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Lumen, open your eyes, innocent people have died." he said as he showed her a photo of Rita Morgan. "Do you know who this is? This is Dexter's deceased wife. She didn't hurt anybody, she just got caught in the crossfire." Next he showed he a photo of Maria LaGuerta. "This is Police Captain Maria LaGuerta. She got too close to the truth and didn't live to tell the tale. She's the main reason I'm even investigating this case. You see now why there's no sanctity in this?"  
**Lumen:** "Okay, everything you said was true. I agree to testify when the time comes."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Wisely done, Miss Pierce. Wisely done indeed."

* * *

**23th January 2012  
North Platte Detention Facility, Nebraska  
4:23 PM**

Jonah Mitchell was in handcuffs, awaiting a visitor. Not too long ago, guilt-ridden over kiling his own mother and unable to find atonement, he turned himself in. He was now awaiting trial and bail was denied.

**Agent Cophs:** "Special Agent Pelle Cophs, FBI. I'd like to have a word with you Jonah." he said as he sat down to have a chat with him.  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "What is there to say? I killed my own mother, here I am. Just leave me alone." he said putting both hands over his face. He was clearly full of sorrow.  
**Agent Cophs:** "Oh knock it off. I'm not here to talk about that, Jonah, I'm here to talk about your father, Arthur Mitchell. More specifically, one of Mr. Mitchell's known associates, Kyle Butler. You are going to tell me everything you know about this person. Who is he? Really?"  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "He's... he was just a friend of my dad's. Didn't know much about him, didn't pay attention to his friends."  
**Agent Cophs:** "You're lying, Jonah. And you're terrible at it. Wanna try again?"  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "I really don't..." he said as Agent Cophs cut him off.  
**Agent Cophs:** "I think you know. You know that Kyle Butler is really just an alias. A name used to get close to Arthur. And you're going to finger the man." he said as he took out three photos. The first one he showed was of Doakes.  
**Agent Cophs:** "Is this Kyle Butler?"  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "No." he responded.  
**Agent Cophs:** "True, this is Sergeant James Doakes, or more commonly known in the US as the Bay Harbor Butcher. He's been dead for a while."

Then Agent Cophs showed him another photo.

**Agent Cophs:** "How about this man? Is he Kyle Butler?"  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "This is a waste of time." he responded.  
**Agent Cophs:** "Well, I guess it would be hard to be him. Supervisor Grant has only been once in Miami for three whole days. And that was 1987."

Agent Cophs showed him the final photo. It was Dexter Morgan. Jonah didn't reply but Cophs could tell just by looking at his sudden change in his facial expression the answer was yes.

**Agent Cophs:** "Jonah, why can't you just come clean with this. Dexter Morgan is Kyle Butler. Admit it."  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "Alright, so what? So he wanted to get close to him so he could apprehend him, what's the harm in that?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "The harm is that it cost him his wife. And Dexter was never an undercover cop, he did not report any of it, which I'm sure you know. What kind of man does that?"  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "I don't know."  
**Agent Cophs:** "I'd say that's the mark of someone who wants to administer blackmail or... personal justice. My money's on personal justice, kid."  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "What are you saying?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Jonah, your father is most likely dead. Soon we may be able to get confirmation too. And I think I have a pretty good idea of who killed him."  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "No... My father simply ran away."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Has anyone else ever told you that you are a terrible liar, Jonah? Stop fucking around with me and come clean."

Jonah got angry.

**Jonah Mitchell:** "How dare you accuse me of lying without any damn evidence? I'm done speaking about the subject to you."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Is that so?"  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "Why do you even care anyway? My father was the most horrible piece of shit of a human being, a mass murderer, and a cruel psychotic wife-beater, you fucking feds should be happy he's burning in Hell, that piece of shit got what he was coming to him." he said on impulse without realizing that he had just slipped up.  
**Agent Cophs:** "So you can confirm that he is dead? Interesting."  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "What? No! I only..."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Spare me the excuses. I am willing to offer you a deal if you are willing to bear witness of Kyle Butler's true identity and his involvement in the murder of Arthur Mitchell."  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "I don't want a deal. I killed my mother. I don't deserve to be a free man."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Very well, if you want to play it the hard way I can have that second degree charge turned into a first. You're going to face the chair, Jonah. Is that what you want?"

Jonah Mitchell didn't reply.

**Agent Cophs:** "It's time to choose Jonah. Who is Kyle Butler? Say his name. His real name."  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "Fine, it was Dexter Morgan."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Now, answer the next question very carefully. Who killed Arthur Mitchell?"  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "Dexter Morgan."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Very good. My final question is. Are you willing say what you've just said to me now, in a court of law?"  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "Yes."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Good. For now, I want you to keep quiet about it. Just to be safe, I'll arrange for you to be taken into protective custody for the following three months, no questions asked. You only deal directly through me, understand? And in return, I'll make sure your second-degree charge stays second."  
**Jonah Mitchell:** "Yes, I understand."

* * *

**25th January 2012  
Debra's Office, Miami Metro Police Department  
9:22 AM**

To tell you the truth there was absolutely nothing I could do about Agent Cophs. I couldn't kill him as that would just get more feds on my case. I couldn't follow him around the country working a full time job and I couldn't quit my job either to do it. I couldn't even tell if he knew more than I thought he knew. I'd just have to wait for his next move and react accordingly.

Then Debra filled me in on some details that I wasn't aware about.

**Dexter:** "You wanted to see me? What's wrong? You sounded quite freaked out on the phone."  
**Debra:** "Holy mother of fuck, Dexter, Cophs is back in Miami and he's assembled a naval task force." That didn't sound good. "He's looking for your mass graveyard. And you know the best bit?"  
**Dexter:** "Not really."  
**Debra:** "All of Miami Metro, including the homicide department has been excluded from the search this time. This is so out of my hands bro, people are going to eventually find out Doakes wasn't BHB. What the fuck are we going to do?"  
**Dexter:** "I'll think of something. That mass graveyard won't be quite as easy to find though, and it's unlikely they will find all the bodies. I've chosen a spot much farther out into the ocean."  
**Debra:** "Well, you better think of something fast, Dex."  
**Dexter:** "In the meantime, I want to show you something."

I gave Deb the newspaper of the day.

**Debra:** "You gotta be fucking kidding me. Don't even think about it." she said as she tossed it to the ground.

The headline read **'Mark David Chapman Free - John Lennon's Killer Paroled After Serving 32 Years'**.


	11. Imagine a World Without Dexter

Hours later...

**25th January 2012  
Dexter's Apartment  
7:23 PM**

Debra was concerned, she did not want me killing this guy, certainly no one as high profile as the murderer of John Lennon. After work she came around to my place.

**Debra:** "Dex, what are fuck you up to? You're not seriously thinking of killing Chapman are you?"  
**Dexter:** "Why not?" I asked.  
**Debra:** "What do you mean why? Dexter are you outta your fucking mind? Even if he is in Florida..."  
**Dexter:** "He is." I quickly reminded her. Turns out that Chapman decided to relocate to Miami after his release.  
**Debra:** "Right, do you even realize the risk you will be exposing yourself to if you go after this guy? His parole was not granted lightly. There were concerns about his personal security without you into the equation. There are fans of John Lennon who would not hesitate to kill him for what he did. Christ, Dex, what if you get caught by some paparazzi or some undercover agent while trying to catch him?"  
**Dexter:** "And that's just it, Deb. I'm not going to kill Chapman myself."  
**Debra:** "What do you mean?" she asked puzzled.  
**Dexter:** "Here." I said as I showed her a file of another person on my computer. "This is Harold Dunmire."

I had spent several hours looking over police files to find the most adequate person for this.

**Dexter:** "Aged 37, joined the force in 1999 but was fired in 2000 due to multiple allegations of police brutality, he has a history of violence and a series of convictions for assault in 2000, 2003, 2004, although he never got a lengthy sentence, and two arrests for motor vehicle theft in 2009 although charges were dropped. Coincidentally the 2003 arrest was made by James Doakes who happened to be in the vicinity of the scene, so there's a plausible link between the two. Now, here's the best bit."  
**Debra:** "What is it?"  
**Dexter:** "His personal life. He's a die hard fan of the Beatles by the looks of it. And with the recent release of Chapman he's even joined a Facebook group called 'Death to Chapman'. Oh, and he definitely owns a boat."  
**Debra:** "So what's the plan?" she asked.  
**Dexter:** "Agent Lundy wanted the Bay Harbor Butcher, so I gave him a Bay Harbor Butcher. If Agent Cophs wants to find an accomplice I'll give him an accomplice."  
**Debra:** "How the fuck you are going to pull this off, Dex?" she asked in incredulity.  
**Dexter:** "I have my ways."  
**Debra:** "And what if he catches on?"  
**Dexter:** "Anything to delay and confuse Cophs as far as I'm concerned."

* * *

**26th January 2012  
Dunmire Residence  
0:23 AM**

Harold Dunmire lived in a quiet sleepy suburb on the outskirts of Miami. He was nocturnal though. I had hoped to sneak in while he was sleeping but turned out he was awake. Still, he made things easier for me when he left around midnight, probably heading for a strip club or a bar.

He kept the house pretty neat. A few carefully planted Bay Harbor Butcher paraphernalia and even Agent Cophs would be unable to deny it.

But my job was still far from over...

* * *

**27th January 2012  
Miami City  
8:10 PM**

It was getting dark, I had been following Chapman around the city for hours looking for an opportunity to snatch him, but also to make sure he was not under any police protection. He wasn't. It took me a while but noticed no pattern of him being followed by someone other than me. His home address was known only to those with access to a police database.

It was just him and me. Killer vs. killer. Still despite the press scandal nobody recognized him when they saw him walking down the streets. He had changed his hairstyle and put on a pair of sun glasses.

Well... not if I can help it.

At some point past 8 PM he went inside the Dolphin Mall and started checking out a few of the shops. It was clear to me I'd had to speed things up if I was going to get anything done.

Dad taught me to never make a scene, but sometimes... even the code must be bent.

Then I noticed a young lady around the corner, reading a newspaper. A similar headline as before "Mark David Chapman Paroled - The People Protest".

**Dexter:** "Excuse miss," I said pointing out the Chapman in the distance as he was browsing one of the stores "Isn't that Chapman? Lennon's killer?"

She turned to the man and examined him closely. I immediately walked out of sight so as not to draw further attention upon myself.

**Lady:** "Yeah! It is him." she said then noticed I was already gone. "Mister? Ah no matter." she said as she took out a phone and dialed a number. I was too far away to hear the conversation but I could tell it was about the man she had just recognized. She then walked up to another stranger and started talking, pointing to Chapman.

People began to follow Chapman around and soon it degenerated into an angry mob booing and shouting "death to Chapman". How different people truly are to the Bay Habor Butcher? Most of us crave personal justice, I just use it as an excuse and the end game is the same. Terrified he ran out of the mall.

Outside, the paparazzi were already there, waiting. They took pictures of Chapman and asked him inane questions.

He then noticed an unoccupied taxi parked around the corner of the mall, all with tinted glass no less. The perfect getaway. He ran to catch it with an army of paraparazzi and angry people running after him. Well, too bad for him he failed to account for one minor detail.

**Chapman:** "Hey, take me to Orange Avenue. Step on it."  
**Dexter:** "Sure, pal."

I quickly drove off breaking the speed limit. It was risky, but worth it. Some of the paparazzi tried to follow us on a motorcycle but failed to catch up. He was mine. Well, sort of.

At the first red light I asked.

**Dexter:** "Do you mind if I smoke?"  
**Chapman:** "No" he said.  
**Dexter:** "Good. Do you want a smoke?"  
**Chapman:** "Sure, thanks."

At that point I reached for the needle and in rapid motion quickly had him asleep before he could realize what was going on.

* * *

**27th January 2012  
Miami Docks  
11:23 PM**

He was all neatly wrapped in plastic in one of the containers not far off from where I was forced to end Hector Estrada's life. From where Debra was forced to end Maria LaGuerta's life.

Chapman would have been an interesting monster for me to get to know a bit better. He had been obsessed since his teens with killing the phonies ever since he read 'The Catcher in the Rye', it would have been quite ironic as well... to be killed by the ultimate phony...

But I figured since he hadn't taken a good look at my face and didn't know much about me, I'd have no contact with him any further in case something went wrong. I simply taped his mouth so he couldn't scream and left before he woke up. Weekend was coming and nobody would be checking this container anyway.

* * *

**28th January 2012  
Dexter's Apartment  
10:21 AM**

The next step was the final. I'd have to lure out Dunmire to the docks. There was no question that he'd kill Chapman on impulse given half the chance. The stuff he had been writing on his Facebook page was venomous and he had a history of violence.

There was an incoming call from Deb as well.

**Debra:** "Dexter, what the fuck are you up to, Chapman goes missing for one night and it's already over the fucking news!" She was right.

I turned on the TV, the radio... all about Chapman missing.

**Debra:** "Cophs is already turning the whole city inside fucking out looking for him, it's bad enough that he's turning the ocean upside down too."  
**Dexter:** "Good. That's the plan"  
**Debra:** "What?"  
**Dexter:** "I can't explain now, gotta go."

I then noticed Dunmire posted on Facebook "Fucking Chapman! I wish the Bay Harbor Butcher were still alive so he could have his way with him! They say he's gone missing, he can die in a fire! May the devil eat him and spit him out!" He also left an angry smiley. About 11 people gave it a thumbs up. Gee, thanks. You just made my job easier.

* * *

**28th January 2012  
Dunmire Residence  
11:39 AM**

I parked in close proximity to his home. Then I gave him a call from a disposable cell phone and with a slight voice modifier that would make it impossible for him to recognize my voice later.

**Dexter:** "Greetings, Harold Dunmire."  
**Dunmire:** "Hey who is this?"  
**Dexter:** "I am Mr. Alex," purposefully made up goofy name that nobody would believe "I can tell you where Chapman is, if you are willing to listen."  
**Dunmire:** "Son of a bitch murdered John Lennon. Damn right I wanna know where he is and give him a piece of my mind."  
**Dexter:** "He is down at Miami Docks address number 3119, Oceanic Street, there you will find a container with the number 40. He is trying to flee the country and skip parole. Hurry."

I followed him to the docks.

* * *

**28th January 2012  
Miami Docks  
1:02 PM**

Dunmire opened the container and stepped in. He saw Chapman wrapped neatly into plastic with the whole room covered in it as well. He became consumed by anger.

**Dunmire:** "You!" he said. "You deserve to die for what you did, Mark David Chapman. You are past redemption, scum!"

He wasn't interested in conversation at all. He did not remove the duct tape that covered his mouth, he simply picked up the knife I conviently left for him and stabbed Chapman in the chest multiple times as he tried and failed to scream for help. Whatever secrets Chapman had, he carried them to his grave.

Dunmire was an extremely impulsive human being. Only later he realized exactly what he had done.

It was too late to flee or get rid of the body though, not that he'd know how to, although the tools needed were carefully left there, not to help his case of course, he wouldn't know how to dissect a body, but it would make the FBI believe otherwise.

The area was already swarmed with by police accompanied by a SWAT team and feds. I had tipped off 911 anonymously about a potential kidnapping in the docks area.

Dunmire realizing this, dropped the bloodied knife and tried to get out and make a run for it. Not a chance. He was immediately spotted and immobilized and then placed in handcuffs. Agent Pelle Cophs was there.

**Agent Cophs:** "You? You're the accomplice of the Bay Harbor Butcher? No matter. Officers, take this scumbag downtown. He has much to answer for."

And so they did.

There was still bad news left to come. Phone rang.

**Debra:** "Dex? Yeah, you better get down here right away. We need to talk."


	12. Black Widow

**28th January 2012  
Debra's Home  
2:14 PM**

I arrived as soon as I could. It was a day off for us, not that Agent Cophs with his distrust of the department would have allowed us anywhere near Chapman's body. She had been watching the news non-stop to keep tabs on what Agent Cophs was up to.

As I entered the living room they were just reporting on the arrest of Harold Dunmire.

**Reporter:** "...as Harold Dunmire, a convicted felon, was taken into custody in connection with the gruesome murder of Mark David Chapman earlier today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has not yet released all the details, but it has been hinted there may be a connection between Dunmire and several of the bodies recently uncovered at the bottom of the ocean, and a potential link with the Bay Harbor murders that left the country in a state of shock years ago."

**Dexter:** "Deb?"  
**Debra:** "Did... you do this?"  
**Dexter:** "Yes." I answered.  
**Debra:** "How on Earth did you manage to pull this off, bro?"  
**Dexter:** "Like I managed to set up Doakes."  
**Debra:** "That's fucking incredible... But don't you think it's only a matter of time before Agent Cophs catches on? He may still have evidence on you, you don't know about."  
**Dexter:** "Is there something I'm not aware of?"  
**Debra:** "Lumen." she said. "Lumen Pierce. I looked her up in the database earlier. Did you know she was taken into custody recently and then mysteriously released? Around the time Cophs was out of town."  
**Dexter:** "On what charges?"  
**Debra:** "Classified charges. That means only one thing. Federal protective custody, she's in a fucking witness protection program, Dex. Cophs has her."  
**Dexter:** "Shit..."  
**Debra:** "And it's a good bet Jonah Mitchell is as well. You are so screwed bro. And Cophs' naval task force found four bodies at the bottom of the ocean already. Chances are they'll find more by Monday."  
**Dexter:** "I need to end this, this is going too far."  
**Debra:** "How?"  
**Dexter:** "Know your enemy. I'll need all the information I can find on this Agent Pelle Cophs. I can't kill him, but maybe I can sabotage his career and get him thrown off the case."  
**Debra:** "I'll try to help."

Meanwhile, I can only hope that Harold Dunmire will at least provide the distraction I need. Lumen and Jonah are out of my reach, but if they confessed about anything, even with Dunmire as a prime suspect, it would only be a matter of time until I'd start seeing feds with warrants tearing my life apart.

* * *

**28th January 2012  
Interrogation Room, FBI Field Office, Miami  
8:32 PM**

Dunmire was waiting in the interrogation room... nervous. Agent Cophs soon stepped in with a very thick dossier in his hands.

The Bay Harbor Butcher case.

**Agent Cophs:** "So Mr. Dunmire, here's where we stand. You murdered a man in cold blood earlier today. You were caught almost red-handed fleeing from the container. We have the murder weapon with your prints on it. We have the equipment you were going to use to dispose of the body. We know from your online activities you hated Chapman for what he did to John Lennon and you knew he was getting out on parole, and your MO is identical to that of the Bay Harbor Butcher, that can't possibly be a coincidence can it? Now you better tell me anything else I don't know about or it's the electric chair for you."  
**Dunmire:** "I... I can explain. I killed Chapman yes, but... I was set up! I don't know nothing about the Bay Harbor Butcher." he said stuttering.  
**Agent Cophs:** "Don't lie to me, Dunmire. You've met him before. Confess. You are James Doakes' accomplice. You and Doakes killed people together."  
**Dunmire:** "I don't know any James Doakes!" he protested.  
**Agent Cophs:** "You're lying, Dunmire. You want me to pull your 2003 file? James Doakes was the arresting officer. That's how you first met, remember now?"  
**Dunmire:** "Christ, I don't fucking remember, okay so we met before, but... I have nothing to do his murders."  
**Agent Cophs:** "You own an entire set of kill tools."  
**Dunmire:** "What? I do not!"  
**Agent Cophs:** "You're lying. We found your equipment in your house. Blades of all shapes and sizes, plastic wrappers and a sizable supply of etorphine hidden in your basement."  
**Dunmire:** "That's not fucking possible! I've been set up I tell you."  
**Agent Cophs:** "By who?"  
**Dunmire:** "This guy... he called me, Mr. Alex..."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Right... you're not a very good liar Dunmire, you just made that person up on the spot. So why not confess to what really happened?"

Dunmire refused to respond.

**Agent Cophs:** "Let's see if I can refresh your memory. Chapman was last seen entering a taxi bearing the license plate S2XM5. All of it was photographed by multiple bystanders yesterday, the night of his disappearance. Only those plates were fake. That car's plates should be 11DF3 and the car belongs to the South Miami Cab Company which reported it as stolen recently. You stole that cab, Dunmire."  
**Dunmire:** "I don't know what you're talking about."  
**Agent Cophs:** "You're lying. Again. We found the plates and several parts of the vehicle in your garage. We found the rest of vehicle abandoned in a field. Is this how you fund your murderous operation, Dunmire?"  
**Dunmire:** "No! I... I don't even have an operation. I swear Chapman was just one kill. I'm not a serial killer!"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Let's talk about the bodies recently found at the bottom of the ocean. I must admit, one of them was... very badly decomposed, but we managed to ID all four nonetheless. And the first body is, officer Zoey Kruger, ooh! That kill alone can put you straight on death row. What's the matter, Dunmire? You found some 'dark secret' of hers or was she just getting too close to the truth?"  
**Dunmire:** "I don't know who that person is."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Or how about this guy, Louis Greene? Former Miami Metro forensics intern? Let me guess, he supplied you with the personal information of the people you wanted to kill? That's why you got rid of him? Afraid he'd rat you out eventually? So much for that strictly crime fighting bullshit."  
**Dunmire:** "I'm not your guy!" he yelled.  
**Agent Cophs:** "Third body, Joesph Walker... Well, I guess he really did kill his wife. But that's not for you to decide. Fourth body, Walter Kenney, now would could be this guy's secret? Whatever it is, it must be pretty bad."  
**Dunmire:** "That's it, I'm not saying another word, fed. I want my lawyer."  
**Agent Cophs:** "A lawyer can't you, Harold Dunmire. You've killed too many people for that."  
**Dunmire:** "I'm not listening!"  
**Agent Cophs:** "You kidnap them, you pump them full of M-99 to subdue them, you decorate the entire room with plastic so there's no blood or evidence left behind..."  
**Dunmire:** "No! No! No! No! No!"  
**Agent Cophs:** "And then you stab them. You cut them up into little pieces, well most of them anyway, put them in heavy duty garbage bags and dump them at the bottom of the ocean. We know everything. How Doakes killed, how he taught you to kill. We've even found Doakes' fake manifesto at your place."  
**Dunmire:** "My lawyer! Now!"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Very well, you leave me no choce." he said as he closed the dossier and got up. Then he said "Harold Dunmire, I'm charging you with the kidnapping and murder of Mark David Chapman, Zoey Kruger, Louis Greene, Joesph Walker and Walter Kenney, I'm also charging you with accessory to murder, conspiracy, fraud, trespassing and automobile theft."

Agent Cophs then read his Miranda Rights. Two other agents came in to escort Harold Dunmire to his cell.

**Dunmire:** "You've got the wrong guy I tell you! I've never associated with Doakes! I would never kill all those people!" he screamed as the feds were hauling him away.

Another agent, SA Finlay, was watching although he was not on the case himself.

**Agent Finlay:** "So that's it, Pelle?" he asked. "This is the second Bay Harbor Butcher? Case closed?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Not quite. There are still a few unanswered questions. And plenty of bodies still to find on that ocean floor. There is at least one more person of interest pertaining to the case. There is some witness testimony about specific murders, but without a body it's very unlikely any of it would really stand in court."  
**Agent Finlay:** "I see. Well it's not my call. I wish you good luck in your investigation, Pelle."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Thank you."

* * *

**28th January 2012  
Dexter's Apartment  
11:52 PM**

_That night I had a dream. The kill I had never done. Mark Chapman had just woken up from his M-99 induced slumber. The container was dark. He couldn't see anything._

_**Chapman:** "Huh? Where am I? Somebody help! I'm stuck!" he screamed in vain. Nobody could hear him at this hour._

_I turned on a CD player in the dark. It was an old track by John Lennon "Instant Karma". "Instant Karma's gonna get you, Gonna knock you right on the head, You better get yourself together, Pretty soon you're gonna be dead" the song started. How fitting._

_**Chapman:** "What the fuck is going on?" he panicked, struggling to get free. Not a chance. I had wrapped him up pretty tight._

_I turned on the light._

_**Dexter:** "Wake up, Chapman!" I said with a psychopath's smile on my face. I began singing along with the song._  
_**Chapman:** "Hey, you're that shady taxi driver! Let... let me go!" he struggled further in vain._  
_**Dexter:** "Bingo! But I'm not a taxi driver. That was just my disguise to get you. I'm the Bay Harbor Butcher. And I think you know why we're both here."_  
_**Chapman:** "Please man. I'm sorry. I was young and foolish. I had these urges, I've done my time, I truly regret killing John Lennon. See me free!"_  
_**Dexter:** "Urges?" I asked? "Do go on."_  
_**Chapman:** "These urges... in my head... told me to kill."_  
_**Dexter:** "Chapman, I too have urges, believe me."_  
_**Chapman:** "So? You understand?"_  
_**Dexter:** "Is this like a 'Dark Passenger'?"_  
_**Chapman:** "Yes, yes, exactly. He controls me. Come on, you understand what it's like."_  
_**Dexter:** "But I also live by a code. You killed an innocent man who never harmed anyone."_  
_**Chapman:** "He was not innocent!" he snapped at me. "He a phony and a hypocrite who sang about love and sharing while hypocritically hoarding wealth. All the phonies deserve to die including you! Look at you child, would-be bringer of justice, you hide behind disguises and pretenses, at heart you are a killer."_  
_**Dexter:** "So you're not truly sorry about your deeds. Got it. We are all phony to some degree, Mark David Chapman." I said while I turned around to change the track on the CD to something more appropriate. It was a 1969 song by The Beatles, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". I sang along even though I was not very good at it. Chapman was confused._  
_**Chapman:** "What are you doing?" he asked about 20 seconds into the song. "Tell me. What are you doing?" he asked again. And I think that a former Beatles fan like him knew where this was going._  
_**Dexter:** "There's no 'Dark Passanger', Chapman. It's only you. And it is time to take responsibility for your own deeds." I said to him._  
_**Dexter:** "Help, somebody!" he screamed._

_As the chorus started playing, I turned around, put on a creepy smile and a revealed a silver hammer in my right hand, one that I had bought for this special occasion. I hit him repeatedly over the head._

_**Chapman:** "Fuck!"_

_"Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer_  
_Came down upon her head."_

_He didn't seem dead, just a bad injury with some teeth knocked out, so I hit him over again. And again. And again. The song continued._

_"Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer_  
_Made sure that she was dead."_

Then I woke up. Strangely I could hear this song playing from a neighbor's apartment. A late night party perhaps? My dreams were often intertwined with reality in this way, sounds heard in life would influence my dreams. Damn how I wish I was the one to kill Chapman, get my release. Thanks to Pelle Cophs and his relentless investigation I had missed a great kill. If this was sex, this would have been the equivalent of blue balls. And there definitely were similarities.

* * *

**29th January 2012  
Cuban Restaurant, Miami  
8:23 PM**

That night I took Hannah out to a Cuban restaurant. She'd been cleared for murder of Sal Price although she still had to answer for breaking out of custody in the first place. Typically there was a chance for this case to be dismissed as well with no other real charges, but for now she was out on bail, awaiting a trial. Worst case scenario she'd do one or two years in jail or get out soon for good behavior.

We talked about a lot of random things before we got into the serious business.

**Hannah:** "Dexter, I kept my promise, I stayed away from Debra."  
**Dexter:** "Yes, it's okay."  
**Hannah:** "You didn't have to do that."  
**Dexter:** "I know."  
**Hannah:** "Do you truly love me?"  
**Dexter:** "Yes." I said without hesitation.  
**Hannah:** "I think I love you too."

Somehow that is the last thing I remember...

* * *

**30th January 2012  
Hannah's Home  
0:43 AM**

I woke up in a basement strapped to a chair hours later. A female figure came down with a syringe in her hand. It was Hannah.

**Dexter:** "Hannah? What's going on? What are you doing?"  
**Hannah:** "There is something that I never told you about myself, Dexter."  
**Dexter:** "Hannah come on, what is this about?" I asked. I smiled. I didn't show fear. I didn't even feel it. Somehow facing the prospect of death never really scared me. I don't know why despite my strong sense of survival. But then again I was not like the other humans.  
**Hannah:** "This is nothing personal." she said. I could tell she both did and did not want to do this.  
**Dexter:** "Why are you doing this, Hannah?" I asked. "Is this about the Sal Price pencil?"  
**Hannah:** "No." she said.  
**Dexter:** "Ah, of course, this is about Clint McKay isn't it? Your father?"  
**Hannah:** "No. That's not it either. My father was a bad man. He deserved to die."  
**Dexter:** "Then what?" I asked. "One moment you said you love me and now you want to kill me? Talk to me, Hannah."  
**Hannah:** "I have this... compulsion. You see..."  
**Dexter:** "Yes, Hannah?"  
**Hannah:** "Dammit, Dexter! You should have figured it out before!"  
**Dexter:** "What, Hannah? What?" I asked. I noticed the chair was not particularly heavy. Without enough effort I could just lift both the chair and myself and even use it as a weapon to escape.  
**Hannah:** "I always kill the things I love, Dexter. I can't help it."  
**Dexter:** "Yes, you can, I can teach you to channel those urges."  
**Hannah:** "It's just not the same Dexter. Not... the same." I could tell she really badly damaged the poor woman. Kill the things she loved? I had never heard of that in almost 20 years of forensics work. Crimes of passion sure, disagreements happened. But killing a loved one for its own sake?  
**Dexter:** "Is that why you killed you first husband?"  
**Hannah:** "I'm sorry, Dexter. I lied about the true reasons I killed him. I just... felt the need to."

A part of her did not want to do this. But her dominant side sure did. In any case she let her guard down for a moment, enough for me to escape. I charged at her and knocked her out cold, the poisoned syringe dropping by her side. But I couldn't bring myself to end her life. I ran.

I just ran.


	13. Closing In All Around You

**30th January 2012  
Dexter's Apartment  
7:33 AM**

_"I always kill the things I love"... Those words will forever remain stuck in my head, as will Trinity's, "You dream of a Heaven you'll never see"..._

_**Harry Morgan:**__ "You should have listened to Debra, Dexter. You should have listened to yourself. Hannah McKay is too volatile for you. And you made a grave mistake letting her go."_

It was Monday morning and I needed to get ready for work. Then I heard the sirens. Pelle Cophs!

**Agent Cophs:** "FBI! Search warrant!" he said. I opened the door.

No use, Pelle. You'd never find anything of interest. The blood slides gone, the tools of the trade disposed of, the fake IDs and passports carefully hidden at another location, the boat squeaky clean. I figured that Jonah could link me to Trinity and Lumen to Jordan Chase but without those two bodies in particular, no evidence and another suspect in custody a case was shaky. Still, time was running short. I left.

**Agent Cophs:** "Hold on a sec, Dexter Morgan. Where are you going? Would you mind answering some questions?"  
**Dexter:** "I am I under arrest?" I asked.  
**Agent Cophs:** "No. Not yet."  
**Dexter:** "Then I am free to go." And that stopped him in his tracks. Almost...  
**Agent Cophs:** "You only delay the inevitable, Morgan! You're connected with all of this somehow and I'm going to prove it beyond any reasonable doubt!" he threatened me. I ignored him and kept walking away.  
**Agent Cophs:** "You want to play rough? I can play rough too, Morgan. Do you hear me?"

* * *

**30th January 2012  
Crime Scene, Miami  
7:48 AM**

Mere moments later I got an automated text message about a crime scene through the police app. I arrived quickly. Apparently Debra had shot a criminal who had earlier tried to commit armed robery. She claimed self-defense of course.

Captain Matthews was there, he looked at me as I was pulling into the neighborhood. There was something in his eyes, as if... he felt betrayed.

I got out of the car and headed for the yellow tape. But I was stopped by Captain Matthews.

**Matthews:** "Good morning," he said. A pause followed and then he said my name "Dexter." That was never a good sign.  
**Dexter:** "I'm here about the blood work."  
**Matthews:** "I'm afraid that's not possible, Dexter Morgan. Orders from above. You've been suspended from duty pending an investigation. In fact, I must ask you to hand over all your forensics-related equipment."  
**Dexter:** "What? Why?" I asked pretending to be surprised.

But I knew. Cophs! It was his doing. He was trying to deprive me of my trade. Without access to most of my tools and to the police database I'd have a very hard time finding my next target and being a step ahead of law enforcement. It was a war of attrition and he was good at it.

**Matthews:** "I'm sorry. There may not be any formal charges against you for the time being, but I also cannot risk the department being compromised from within until these suspicions are cleared completely. You will be on payed suspension, don't worry about the financial aspect."  
**Dexter:** "Well don't you trust me, Captain Matthews?"  
**Matthews:** "Listen, Dexter. I trusted you before, yes. I defended you. That was when I still believed Maria was completely out of her mind, but with these new set of murders, those bodies found at the bottom of the ocean despite Doakes' death and bearing signs of the BHB MO, now a federal agent looking into your life, conducting warranted searches on your properties... If I ever find out that you are in any way, shape or form connected..."  
**Dexter:** "Dunmire's obviously the guy." I said remembering that I still had a scapegoat.  
**Matthews:** "If there are two people involved, why not three? And if there are three people involved why not a whole network?"  
**Dexter:** "This is all a misunderstanding." I said smiling, trying to talk my way out of it.  
**Matthews:** "It better be, but I can't let you anywhere near the crime scene. Masuka will handle it."  
_**Brian:**__ "I told you that you cannot be a killer and a hero."_

Debra came to see what was going on.

**Debra:** "Captain, what the fuck? My brother is suspended?" she asked surprised.  
**Matthews:** "I'm afraid so."  
**Debra:** "Fuck! Why wasn't I told about this? Dexter had fuck all to do with these murders!" she said in anger.

Angel Batista entered the conversation.

**Angel:** "Yeah, what in God's name is going on, Doakes was the Bay Harbor Butcher and these new killing were obviously done by Harold Dunmire. He was caught in action, using the same MO as Doakes. You really gonna let that pendejo agente federal make the rules around here?"  
**Matthews:** "People, enough, it's not up for debate."  
**Angel:** "I see... politics, this is all about making you look good in front of the Bureau isn't it, even if that means throwing Dexter under the bus."

While Angel and Matthews were arguing me and Debra also had a brief conversation.

**Dexter:** "Debra, what's going on? Are you okay? I heard you shot someone."  
**Debra:** "Fuck yeah. Bastard. He deserved it. The robbery was nothing. He's killed people before and walked free. Garry Santos, remember him?"  
**Dexter:** "Was it really self-defense?"

Debra didn't answer. She just looked at me and frowned.

**Masuka:** "Debra!" Masuka shouted, then came up to us. "Don't worry about the report. There's definitely evidence in support of self-defense. Nobody will ask you about this shooting ever again."  
**Debra:** "Great, I'm outta here. And Dex, you're coming with me."  
**Masuka:** "Hey Dexter. I'm sorry things turned out the way they did. Hopefully you'll be back at work in no time."

We got in the car and drove off.

**Dexter:** "So... Did you really kill that guy in self-defense?"  
**Debra:** "Fuck, Dexter, you should have been there to help me out. We're lucky Masuka didn't pay attention to all the subtle details this time. Usually he does. Fucking Pelle Cophs, he just won't give up."  
**Dexter:** "What really happened?"  
**Debra:** "I was on my way to work when I noticed an armed thug in the store. I got out of the car and tried to apprehend him. He shot once but missed then ran out the back. I chased him into an alleyway until we reached a dead end."  
**Dexter:** "And then what?"  
**Debra:** "He turned around aiming the gun at me. That's when I recognized him. Garry Santos. 'Drop the gun! Hands in the air!' I said. He complied. And then..."  
**Dexter:** "You shot him?"  
**Debra:** "Yes!"  
**Dexter:** "Do you feel any remorse?"  
**Debra:** "No. Those who do what Santos did deserve to die."  
**Dexter:** "Deb, you put yourself at considerable risk today. There are better ways to get these guys."  
**Debra:** "And you? Has the 'Code' really made you any better or safer? Look, it's us against Pelle Cophs. If you don't find a way to stop him, he's going to stop you. And my God Dexter, what happened to you? I called you last night many times and you didn't answer."  
**Dexter:** "Yeah, I had a rough night with Hannah. You were right about her, Deb. She can't be trusted."  
**Debra:** "That bitch! Fuck! What did she do?"  
**Dexter:** "She tried to kill me. She's completely out of control."  
**Debra:** "Don't worry, Dexter, I'll have that bitch back in a cell in no time. I'll make some calls, see about getting her bail revoked."  
**Dexter:** "You sure that's a good idea? This is between me and her now."  
**Debra:** "You're my brother, Dex. She harms you, she harms me."

Meanwhile...

* * *

**30th January 2012  
FBI Field Office, Miami  
10:34 AM**

Agent Morrison, a man taking part in the naval task force, entered Cophs' office.

**Agent Cophs:** "So, anything to report, Agent Morrison?"  
**Agent Morrison:** "We found five new bodies this morning, we will ID them as soon as possible."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Yes, good. I'll be joining you later. I'm expecting Dr. Evelyn Vogel in about ten minutes or so."  
**Agent Morrison:** "Who is Dr. Evelyn Vogel?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "You may have heard of her. She's a neuropsychiatrist who specializes in studying the minds of psychopaths, she's written many books about them and helped solve many cases in the past."

Then she came.

**Evelyn Vogel:** "Good morning, gentlemen."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Good morning, Dr. Vogel, I'm Special Agent Pelle Cophs, we spoke on the phone. This is Special Agent David Morrison."  
**Agent Morrison:** "Pleased to meet you, Dr. Vogel. Well, I have to be off now. I am needed elsewhere." he said leaving the room.

**Agent Cophs:** "Now then, Dr. Vogel. You've studied psychopaths all your life. What is your fascination with these people?"  
**Evelyn Vogel:** "Most people see psychopaths as a mistake of nature. They are not. They're a gift. They're alpha wolves, who helped the human race survive long enough to become civilized."  
**Agent Cophs:** "And now they've outlived their usefulness and you fight them... An interesting perspective, Dr. Vogel. But do you have information directly pertaining to the Bay Harbor Butcher case?"  
**Evelyn Vogel:** "As a matter of fact, I do..."

...

* * *

**31st January 2012  
FBI Field Office, Miami  
1:13 AM**

I was not going to take any more chances. Cophs was gunning for me. If I had to fight him I needed to know everything about him. All the cases he had ever worked on, all his personal secrets. Nobody was perfect. Maybe I could ruin his career, maybe force him to back off at least. The regular police records wouldn't have helped much. Even as a Lieutenant of Homicide, Debra had limited access to the information of federal employees, particularly Special Agents.

At night I broke into the federal offices. Nobody saw me of course, I had done breaking and entering successfully many times to know how to avoid being spotted even in the most secure of locations.

There I was able to log into the Bureau's network and find out SA Cophs' background, personal information. He was 41 years old, about my age. He came from a wealthy background, his father being the CEO and co-owner of some big company up in Washington DC. Strangely he seemed to have had little to no interest in the family business, dropping out of economic studies in favor of law school and pursuing a career in law enforcement.

I looked over his case files, past and present. Most of them were white-collar related, but there were also many involving psychopathic serial killers around the country. The Bay Harbor Butcher case was there and so was Trinity's, recent assignments, he'd never worked on these cases before January this year but now he was leading both along with LaGuerta's murder. But there was one case in particular with little to no information about it, much of the information purposefully marked as classified. That was highly unusual, why was this of all cases classified even to most of the Bureau? Case name, Imperon. Location, Detroit Michigan.

Interesting...


	14. Detroit

While looking over the cases that Agent Cophs had worked on in the past 15 years since joining the FBI, I noticed he had a clearance rate of over 95%, one of the highest among federal agents. That was quite impressive. Usually the cases were solved within months.

The Imperon case dated from May 2009 and was one of the few that had remained unsolved. But why? And more importantly, why was almost every information about it classified? Was this Cophs' weak spot, was he trying to hide with own shortcomings in crime solving? Was he taking a bribe, just this once to hide some grand white collar conspiracy? Imperon... Emperor... Empire... A financial empire perhaps? Or maybe this order came directly from his superiors? Perhaps the Department of Defense was involved?

It didn't matter, I decided to look into it when I got back home. And since time was of the essence, I wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

* * *

**31st January 2012  
Dexter's Apartment  
3:02 AM**

I only knew that the case was of great importance and connected to Detroit somehow so I spent the next couple of hours going over the local news sources that reported on criminal activity in that part of the United States. No luck at first, I should have known. With Detroit having one of the highest crime rates in the country it felt like looking for a needle in a haystack. I'd have to narrow it down somehow.

What was Cophs' specialty again? Apparently only white collar crimes, possibly due to his economics background, and extremely violent serial killers. Despite the violent crime rate in Detroit, most of it was connected to organized crime and theft. Serial killers? Not so much. Most people killed for a reason, not just for the sake of it. There had only been two serial killers in the past five years, both cases solved, both reported not just in Detroit's local news outlets, but all over the country. Definitely not related to Imperon.

Then I found it. Or at least I was 99% sure this was it because it really stood out of the ordinary. The article was dated 3rd of May, 2009, which coincided with the opening of the Imperon case. Apparently the Eastwood Convalescent Center, a private, permanent healthcare facility for the disabled or elderly, had recieved a new patient from someone claiming to be a relative. It was an unusual commitment as the patient was missing all four limbs, tongue cut off, both eyes surgically removed, hearing impaired completely and genitals removed on top of that... just left alive... barely... unable to communicate about his aggressor and showing signs of a developing mental illness. The article also said that the FBI had opened an investigation but were keeping it all hush hush and would not reveal any further information. This story never made national headlines.

Amazing... This guy might not, strictly speaking, be a killer, but he's definitely unhinged... kind of like me.

I checked news articles further and found three similar cases, which also had failed to make national headlines. Another victim in the Detroit area in 2011, two more in the neighboring states of Michigan, one dating back from 2004, no mention of the Bureau's involvement at that time. Perhaps this only came to the Bureau's attention in 2009, it certainly fit the data. The victims had all been delivered to separate care facilities.

Since I was temporarily out of work I decided to travel to Detroit to investigate it further. Not to raise any suspicion about leaving town, I'd take a cab to the airport and board a plane to Michigan using a fake ID. Harrison would stay with aunt Debra for a while. She'd understand.

* * *

**31st January 2012  
Detroit, Michigan  
9:32 AM**

I arrived in Detroit after a 160 minute flight. I was tired, hadn't slept all night in Miami, only managed to fall asleep for the duration of the flight. I rented a car, and headed Downtown to find a hotel.

Detroit had seen better days. Since its peak in the 50's it had been in a permanent state of economic and social decline with widespread poverty, people leaving in droves and crime rates soaring. Entire neighborhoods were abandoned which made house prices plummet to near nothingness. There was something appealing to it though... solitude... if you didn't mind a lone thug suddenly coming out of nowhere and smashing your skull for the 10$ in your wallett of course. And with the homicide rate sky high and public services all but dysfunctional, maybe less chances for someone like me to get caught while having an endless supply of scumbags to kill.

Don't worry, I wasn't planning on staying here too long.

It was very cold. Here up north in Michigan was nothing like Florida at this time of year. It was full blown winter.

* * *

**31st January 2012  
The Leland Hotel, Downtown Detroit  
10:56 AM**

I decided to check into The Leland Hotel. It wasn't much, but then again neither were most hotels in Detroit. From the outside it didn't stand out of the ordinary. The inside of the hotel however was in a pretty bad shape and hadn't been renovated in decades. The floor was damaged, the carpets were torn in multiple places and the walls were dirty or tainted with graffiti.

There were some shady individuals in the lobby dressed like pimps and gang bangers and the receptionist himself had a shady vibe about him and wasn't particularly welcoming or helpful.

There was smoke everywhere and gangster rap music could be heard in the background.

I stayed nonetheless, the price was okay and I wasn't looking for luxury. I didn't fear for my personal safety much, plus where there was organized crime, the killers and sadists were not far off. The hotel service was awful and the environment was certainly not family friendly, but hey, maybe they would prove themselves useful later. Someone in Detroit's underworld knew who the person I was looking for was.

**Anton (Receptionist):** "Yo, white boy, need a room? Or you gonna stand there all day staring and shit?" asked the receptionist.  
**Dexter:** "Yes, I'd like a room please." I said.  
**Anton:** "Aight, that'll be 90$ a night, your name? I'm Anton, by the way."  
**Dexter:** "Stanley Foyer."

Anton gave me the key to the room, number 630.

**Dexter:** "Can I get some help with my luggage please?" I asked.  
**Anton:** "Shit, what do I look like a delivery boy? Aight, fine. Yo, T!" he shouted at one of the gang bangers.  
**T:** "Watcha want, dog?"  
**Anton:** "Can you please help Mr. Foyer here with his luggage?"

The gang banger turned to me and walk closer.

**T:** "Just so you know, I don't work here. 10 bucks and I help you with the luggage."  
**Dexter:** "Yeah sure." I said.

The room was exactly as I had pictured it. Dirty, smelly and cold. Cockroaches under the bed and cracks in the wall.

Wonderful...

* * *

**31st January 2012  
Eastwood Convalescent Center  
1:10 PM**

Some hours later I went to check out Eastwood Convalescent Center, to see for myself what this enigmatic sadist had done. I couldn't just waltz right in without a good reason of course. A kind elderly lady greeted me at the entrance.

**Tina:** "Why hello there, young man. Welcome to Eastwood Convalescent Center, I am Tina Jones, the administrator."  
**Dexter:** "Hello, I'm Stanley Foyer, I'm a traveling philanthropist." I lied.  
**Tina:** "Oh, interesting. Would you like a tour of our facility?"  
**Dexter:** "Yes, I would, thank you very much."

She spent the next hour or so showing me around the building and talking a lot. I didn't really pay attention to half of what she saying, I just needed to find a man in particular, the one that had been maimed for life by the mysterious sadist. The facility housed many elderly or crippled people that required permanent care.

As we were walking past one of the corridors I saw the man, he was asleep in a wheelchair. No limbs... I stopped in placed and pretended to be surprised.

**Dexter:** "Excuse me, Mrs. Jones. What can you tell me about that patient?" I interupted her from her long-winded monologue.  
**Tina:** "Oh, that is Mr. Vick Anderson. He was delivered to us three years ago. He has multiple disabilities, the poor man, in fact the worst I've seen in my entire life. He literally has almost no non-essential body parts left."  
**Dexter:** "That's horrible..." I said faking a frown. This is a masterpiece.  
**Tina:** "I know, I know. But we take good care of him. We take good care of all of them, no matter how severe the disability may be. We take our commitment to helping the misfortunate very seriously here, Mr. Foyer."

We walked closer. No limbs, no ears and hearing impaired beyond repair, face mutilated beyond recognition. This was a work of art and it reminded me of my brother, Brian Moser. Both he and this mysterious sadist were artists.

**Dexter:** "What kind of accident does this to a person?" I asked, pretending to have absolutely no knowledge of it.  
**Tina:** "Well, this was no accident. This was deliberate."  
**Dexter:** "What kind of human being would do this to another person?" Someone like me perhaps?  
**Tina:** "A terrible human being. We called the police, we called the FBI, but they never found the person who did it. We get the occasional visit from the FBI but they either have no new discoveries about the case or are reluctant to share them."  
**Dexter:** "Does Mr. Anderson have any immediate family?"  
**Tina:** "Not that we know of." she said. As she looked away for a brief moment, I managed to pluck a hair follicle from Mr. Anderson. He was no in state to respond.  
**Dexter:** "Wait so who brought him in then?"  
**Tina:** "We never met the man in person but it's likely the same man who mutilated him. We only spoke on the phone. He identified himself as Mr. Vick Anderson and inquired about having himself committed due to 'severe disabilities'. No details. Two days later we received payment via bank transfer from a 'Dr. Albert Danco' on his behalf. Mr. Anderson had also been delivered to our doorstep in the same state he is now. Well almost the same state."  
**Dexter:** "Almost?"  
**Tina:** "Well, we tried to find a way to communicate with Mr. Anderson, but it was no use. He was also developing a severe mental illness, most likely due to the trauma that had been inflicted on him."

Incredible... He almost murders his victims and leaves them in a state where they have almost no way to interact with the world around them and rat out the sadist. Why didn't I think of that? And surely all that dismemberment must involve a lot of blood... Delicious. I can picture it all in my mind. But I shouldn't, I need to think straight now.

She continued the tour of the facility for about half an hour more. Now I really was not paying attention, I had gotten all the information I needed. I just hung around a bit more to conceal the true motive behind my visit. Then headed back to the hotel.

* * *

**31st January 2012  
The Leland Hotel, Downtown Detroit  
4:00 PM**

I had two names to do a follow-up on, 'Dr. Danco' and 'Vick Anderson' and since I didn't have access to the police database anymore...

**Debra:** "Hello, who is this?"  
**Dexter:** "It's me, Deb, I'm calling using a disposable cell phone."  
**Debra:** "Fuck, Dexter, where are you? You left me with Harrison on short notice and then disappeared.  
**Dexter:** "I'm in Detroit, Deb. Harrison okay?"  
**Debra:** "Yeah. Listen. What the fuck are you doing all the way up there, Dex? Are you running away?"  
**Dexter:** "It's... complicated and I have no access to the police database. They cut me off. I need you to check two names for me out here in Detroit. One is Vick Anderson..."  
**Debra:** "Could you be more specific please?"  
**Dexter:** "African-American male, early 40's or late 30's. Severely disabled. Also check out a Dr. Albert Danco."  
**Debra:** "Can you tell me what this is about?"  
**Dexter:** "I will, but I have to go now. Take care of Harrison."  
**Debra:** "Yeah, sure."

I waited and waited... She called back in the evening.

**Debra:** "Okay, Dex, listen up. There are no Vick Andersons that fit that description, not in Detroit or anywhere in the United States. Whoever you're trying to find is a ghost."  
**Dexter:** "What about Dr. Danco?"  
**Debra:** "Fuck, Dex, I can't find him anywhere either, even though there are some bank accounts around the country created using that name. He seems to open one or two every year, make some transfers from some off-shore accounts that I have no fucking access to and could never get, the transfers the funds to some health care facilities, then the account gets frozen by the FBI a week later. He's definitely not doing something legal. Why the fuck would he repeatedly use the same name over and over and risk getting caught?"

Because he's mocking the system, toying with it. It's his way of saying "Hey, feds, wanna play?" And yes they do want to play. But so do I. "Dr. Danco" is his signature. The accounts are like trophies to him. Just like my blood slides. Just like Arthur's 'community' awards.

**Dexter:** "I don't know. Hey, Deb, could you e-mail me the list of all those facilities he's been transferring money to."  
**Debra:** "Sure."  
**Dexter:** "Thanks, you're the best."

Five minutes later I received the e-mail from Debra. There were 14 different facilities on the list, including the Eastwood Convalescent Center. I checked the rest out online. 10 out of 14 facilities were spread all over the US, but the other 4 were all in the Detroit, Michigan area. Clearly, this was Dr. Danco's base of operations.

There was even one in Florida, I had never heard of it and I still couldn't wrap my head around that idea that this had never made the national headlines. If my theory was right, all these facilities had one severely crippled person in each of them. This was Dr. Danco's MO, mutilate them, drive them mad, them ship them off to one of these care facilities.

I tried to cross check these locations with the local news. I was right. There were reports of mutilated people in those states. There was a sophisticated serial mutilator in the United States, and while, strictly speaking, he didn't meet Harry's Code, I figured he had resigned his victims to a fate worse than death. Still was I going to kill him? And more importantly, how would I use him against Special Agent Pelle Cophs and destroy his career? If I found him first, would that put into question Cophs' own competence as an efficient investigator? I didn't know, but I definitely wanted to find Dr. Danco.

But was I even on the right track? Debra called again.

**Debra:** "Okay, Dex, I found a bit more information about this Dr. Danco, but this is the farthest I can go. I turns out Dr. Danco transfers funds from some off-shore accounts, most of them in the Cayman Islands at a bank called 'Imperon Banc' and a few other in Cyprus. That is all, there's literally no way to take it any further short of a three month waiting period and it's quite possible after that you'll run into another dead end. There could be a whole fucking chain of off-shore accounts, plus those authorities rarely cooperate with anyone outside of the FBI. One thing's for sure. This guy is definitely loaded. He always transfers six figure sums."

The cost of lifetime care for someone in such a crippled state... Imperon... This was definitely the case that Cophs had been working on and had been unable to solve for the past three years.

**Dexter:** "Thanks, Deb. Talk to you soon."

I was tired... Went to bed. The heater didn't work and it was cold as fuck.

I spent the next three days going visiting the other facilities around Detroit, each time only to discover the same thing. People with all their non-essential body parts severed. I got their names and a piece of their DNA. None of those names were real either, Dr. Danco was forging new identities for them. I tried to communicate with them but they were all unresponsive and clearly driven to insanity, even Morse Code wouldn't work.

* * *

**4th February 2012  
Detroit Police Department  
0:08 AM**

One night, I snuck into the Detroit Police Department to get some of the samples tested. There was a match for Vick Anderson, his real name was Walter Cooper, he'd been tried for double homicide but never convincted... What? The other victims also turned out to have ties to violent crimes... Was Dr. Danco... like me? A vigilante, masking his urge to destroy under the veil of justice? Did he only go after bad guys? It seemed so.

I got back to the hotel around 3:00 AM.

* * *

**4th February 2012  
The Leland Hotel, Downtown Detroit  
3:21 AM**

With limited police resources at my immediate disposal, there was only one way forward. Underworld connections.

**Dexter:** "Anton, could you come over here please?"  
**Anton:** "What?"  
**Dexter:** "Hey uh, can you show me where to get the good stuff around here?" Anton raised an eyebrow.  
**Anton:** "Shit, you better not be a cop. Follow me."

We went around back, got into Cadillac, no doubt stolen being way above his pay grade, and arrived at Eddystone Hotel, an abandoned hotel in Midtown Detroit.

* * *

**4th February 2012  
Eddystone Hotel, Midtown Detroit  
3:30 AM**

**Anton:** "Third floor" he said. "My man Dwayne is up there. He'll sort you out."

I went up, Anton drove off.

**Dwayne:** "You looking for the good shit? I got what you need."  
**Dexter:** "Yeah, I'm jonesing for some weed, man."

I gave him the money and he gave back a pack of weed.

**Dwayne:** "Anything else you need, chief?"  
**Dexter:** "Yeah, listen, I'm trying to get out of the country. Any of your guys can help?"  
**Dwayne:** "I don't know whatcha talking about, chief, but you can ask around the Temple Bar for N-Dub."

So I did.

* * *

**4th February 2012  
The Temple Bar  
3:51 AM**

I found N-Dub while asking around.

**N-Dub:** "Ye, this is N-Dub, what you need, cracker?"  
**Dexter:** "Hey, uh, I was told you could help me get out of the country."  
**N-Dub:** "I can have your papers in two days, authentic shit, just bring be a recent photo and 2000$ in cash, 10 or 20's, unmarked bills."  
**Dexter:** "Great it's a deal."  
**N-Dub:** "Meet me around Michigan Central Depot, it's an old abandoned and secluded spot. Come alone. Now leave me alone, I need to finish my drink."

* * *

**4th February 2012  
Michigan Central Depot  
4:20 AM**

I met N-Dub half an hour later. I had a photo and the cash ready.

**N-Dub:** "So you made it. What do you want the name on your new passport and driver's license to be?"  
**Dexter:** "Michael Arbinger."  
**N-Dub:** "So what you running from, man?"  
**Dexter:** "I did some things. Bad things. I can't tell you. I'm heading for Canada as soon as possible. Hey listen, I need you to tell me something."  
**N-Dub:** "Shoot."

Yesterday I had snuck into the facilities and made copies of the ID's of Anderson and all the others. I showed him the ID's.

**Dexter:** "I'm looking for a man named Albert Danco. Dr. Albert Danco."

N-Dub raised an eyebrow. I could tell he knew something.

**N-Dub:** "People 'round here tend to live longer the less questions they ask." he said. An implied threat of violence.

I showed him the copies of the fake ID's.

**Dexter:** "Did you do these four ID cards?" I asked.  
**N-Dub:** "Shit! You sound like Five-O." Five-O was slang for police. "Hey yo, T, hey L, come check this fool out!" 'Come alone' my ass.

Two gangsters came out of hiding to attack me, they were carrying knives. T was the same gangster from the hotel who had helped with the luggage.

**T:** "I knew there was something off about that that punkass bitch!" he said.

N-Dub pulled out a gun on me. I quickly disarmed him however and held him hostage at gun point.

**Dexter:** "Back off, put the knives down!" I said. They complied. I shot them both in the head anyway.  
**N-Dub:** "Fuck!" he screamed. "You one crazy cracker!"

I knocked him out cold. I needed him alive for the time being. I quickly set up an improvised kill room. N-Dub woke up.

**N-Dub:** "Motherfuck... where am I?"  
**Dexter:** "You're mine now. Tell me who Dr. Danco is. Tell me everything you know about him." I said.  
**N-Dub:** "Fuck, I don't know what you're talking about."

I showed him the documents again.

**Dexter:** "You made these didn't you?"  
**N-Dub:** "Okay, okay, just don't hurt me. Listen, I... I think I know who you're talking about. There's this white guy, roughly 40 years of age, comes around once or twice a year and orders fake ID's of various people."  
**Dexter:** "Who is he?"  
**N-Dub:** "I dunno, maybe a human trafficker or some shit, how the fuck should I know? I don't ask about their business too much."  
**Dexter:** "Where is he?"  
**N-Dub:** "I don't know." he said.

I showed him my tools.

**Dexter:** "You better. Or else." I said. He started sobbing like a little girl. It was pathetic.  
**N-Dub:** "Shit... Okay, okay. Tell ya the truth, I like to keep eye on things."  
**Dexter:** "Tell me about it."  
**N-Dub:** "Well, I can tell you about his car. It's a silver Lincoln Town Car, saw it many times so I remember the plates. X72P1. Saw the car once somewhere 'round the 7-Mile Road but can't remember where exactly. That's all I know."  
**Dexter:** "Good."  
**N-Dub:** "You gonna let me go now right?"  
**Dexter:** "No. Sorry." I said before stabbing him.

I didn't know if he met the code or not. All I knew was he tried to kill me and that he was a witness. Good enough reason to get rid of him.

It took me hours to clean up the mess but I finally did it. No more bodies, shell casings or blood, at least not any visible blood. The solitude of the abandoned neighborhood helped. Nobody heard the shots, there were no other witnesses. I dumped all three bodies in Lake St. Clair. Bon voyage!

It was 10:00 AM and I was tired as well, I drove back to the hotel and slept like a log for the next 12 hours.

Peace and quiet at last.


	15. God Will Cut You Down

Meanwhile...

**4th February 2012  
FBI Field Office, Miami  
10:20 AM**

While Dexter was away, Agent Pelle Cophs' naval task force had fished up around 20 more bodies and identified at least 15. Among them were the two in particular that he had been looking for, Arthur Mitchell and Jordan Chase.

When the results came that morning, he finally had definitive proof that Dexter Morgan had in fact committed the murders. Witness testimony, photographic evidence of him dumping the same kind of garbage bags found at the bottom of the ocean and now the actual bodies themselves, proving definitely that a crime had been committed. Just what a grand jury needed.

Hannah McKay had even come forward to Agent Cophs, willing to testify in return for protection and for charges of escaping custody to the dropped entirely. Also to have Dexter killed of course, even if not directly by her hands. A man with such a high bodycount would almost be guaranteed the electric chair in the state of Florida.

Still, where was the definitive proof that Maria LaGuerta had in fact been murdered by Dexter Morgan, the original murder that brought Pelle Cophs to Miami in the first place? Also, would Dunmire really have any motive to murder her? After all, he was far below the radar. She suspected Dexter Morgan and some involvement of Debra Morgan, she had never even heard of Harold Dunmire.

Of course, Debra Morgan... He too suspected something was off about her too, plus the bullet found inside LaGuerta's body did coincide with those used by law enforcement. But he had no evidence yet.

* * *

**4th February 2012  
Dade Memorial Park, Miami  
12:23 PM**

Maria LaGuerta was buried in Dade Memorial Park. Unbeknownst to Dexter, Debra would come here once every few days during lunch break.

Her memorial stone read:

_'In Memory of Maria LaGuerta  
1964 - 2011  
Respected Captain of the Miami Metro Police Department  
Pillar of the Cuban Community  
She dedicated her life to fighting lawlessness, the fight that cost her own life, may she rest in peace'_

In her mind, Debra would hear the same words over and over. "Do it Debra, shoot him! This is not who you are! You're a good cop, you're a good person. You're not like him. Put him down!" Every time she came here the events of that night were replayed in her mind... in vain. Nothing would ever bring her back though.

Often times she would often break down and cry screaming out loud:

"I'm sorry, Maria! I am so sorry! You did not deserve this! You are dead and it is my fault... by my hands... Can you ever forgive me, Maria?"

* * *

**4th February 2012  
Debra's Home  
8:10 PM**

Later that evening, Debra called Dexter.

**Debra:** "Hey, Dex. When are you going to tell me what the hell you're up to in Detroit?"  
**Dexter:** "Deb! Listen, it's best not to know."  
**Debra:** "Fuck no, tell me. You've got a lot of trouble to deal with in Miami too you know."  
**Dexter:** "How so?"  
**Debra:** "Well, for one thing Hannah Fucking McKay, the bitch you let get away two or was it three times, yeah, word is she's in federal protective custody as well... and if she testifies, well, then you'll get the chair and she'll live happily ever after on the other side of the US."  
**Dexter:** "I'll deal with that soon. Now listen, there's a serial mutilator in America, Deb. That Dr. Danco guy. He mutilates people by cutting off their limbs and other non-essential body parts, then he ships them off to various care facilities around the country, mostly in Detroit. And get this, he only goes after bad guys as well."  
**Debra:** "Ah, I should have known. Danco is also the brand of a hunting knife, can't be a coincidence. Why the hell are you hunting serial mutilators anyway? It's bad enough there's a fed on your case, we don't have time for this. Plus, if he's a vigilante why do you even care? Shouldn't you cut this guy some slack like you expect others to do to you?"  
**Dexter:** "Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Cophs really isn't as good of an investigator as you thought he was. In fact this case is giving him a lot of trouble that he has to conceal it and keep it away from the press."  
**Debra:** "What? Cophs is after Danco too?"  
**Dexter:** "Yeah. Listen, I'll handle this. I just need you to run these plates: X72P1"  
**Debra:** "Hang on." she said as she logged into the police database. "Yeah it's a silver Lincoln Town Car. The owner is Thomas Addler."  
**Dexter:** "Bingo. That's Dr. Danco's real name. Where can I find him?"  
**Debra:** "Gimme a sec... Shit..."  
**Dexter:** "What Deb?"  
**Debra:** "Thomas Addler has been dead for years. Natural causes. Dr. Danco is just exploiting the system since Addler has no next-of-kin so ownership of that vehicle is somewhere in fucking limbo now."  
**Dexter:** "Well that sounded too good to be true. But I have one extra piece of information."  
**Debra:** "Yeah?"  
**Dexter:** "I think Dr. Danco has a property somewhere on the 7-Mile Road. Somewhere he can take his victims, perform amputations in appropriate conditions and help them recover until he can have them committed."  
**Debra:** "So we're looking for like... a hospital? A clinic? A dentists' office."  
**Dexter:** "Not exactly."  
**Debra:** "A house where medical supplies are routinely delivered?"  
**Dexter:** "Maybe, but I think this guy's too careful for that. I think he purchases items separately and in person from multiple vendors who have no reason to suspect anything anyway. It could even be someone with a medical background who simply has access to these supplies all the time. I'm thinking some industrial building, probably abandoned."  
**Debra:** "Yeah there is one, I'll text you the address."

And so she did.

Curious to find out more about Dr. Danco, Debra also checked local news outlets to see if there was any care facility in Miami housing a mutilated victim of his. And she found it. Pinecrest Center. She too was surprised that this had never made major headlines anywhere before.

* * *

**4th February 2012  
Pinecrest Center, Miami  
9:21 PM**

Debra decided to drive to Pinecrest and arrived there about an hour later. Visitors here were only welcome until 8:00 PM but of course officers of the law pretty much had a 24/7 pass, especially if they had or threatened to come back with a warrant.

Still, no need to play rough, the administrator, Mr. Nick Gale, was friendly enough to show her around.

**Debra:** "Fuck..." she said as she saw what appeared to be a human stump. No limbs at all, no ability to communicate and clearly driven to madness judging by the erratic head movements. "What kind of sicko did this?"  
**Gale:** "We were hoping the police might have some answers by now, miss. But apparently they don't."  
**Debra:** "What about Agent Pelle Cophs?" she asked.  
**Gale:** "Oh yes, I have been in contact in Mr. Cophs as well, but... not much progress has been done really, I'm afraid. Some of the villains are really slippery aren't they? Very slippery." he said with a creepy kind of smile.  
**Debra:** "Yeah, tell me about it. I'll be in touch, Mr. Gale."

She left Pinecrest Center and headed for the parking lot and to her car. She had seen enough around here.

* * *

**4th February 2012  
Debra's Home  
10:39 PM**

When she entered the house she discovered that it had been ransacked and her laptop was missing.

**Debra:** "Fuck..." she said as she tried to reach for her gun.

She then felt as if a gun had been pointed against the back of her head. And she was right. It was a gun. An unknown figure said:

**Unknown Figure:** "Don't move, Debra Morgan." he spoke, although rather softly. Debra froze in place. She knew she didn't have a chance if she tried anything. "Hands in the air. Slowly." Debra complied. "Good." he said as he knocked her out cold with a forceful blow...

She woke up later tied up in the trunk of a car that felt as if it was speeding down a freeway. Who was this? Was it Hannah's revenge plot? Was it Dr. Danco? Was it Mr. Gale? What if Mr. Gale was Dr. Danco? Or was this just some random rapist. She was under the influence of some sedative drug and couldn't move much or call for help.

* * *

**5th February 2012  
Miami Metro Police Department  
9:47 AM**

People were wondering why Debra wasn't showing up for work.

**Masuka:** "Hey Quinn, you know where LT is? She hasn't turned up yet."  
**Quinn:** "No idea. And it's pissing me off."

Angel came out of Matthews' office.

**Angel:** "Guys, calm down. I spoke with Matthews. Debra sent an e-mail last night, she just took the rest of the week off."  
**Quinn:** "Oh wonderful... bailing out on us when we have a truckload of cases to work on."  
**Angel:** "Calm down, Quinn. She's been under a lot of stress lately, we all have been after what happened to Maria."

* * *

**5th February 2012  
Bellinger Industrial Complex, 7-Mile Road, Detroit  
10:54 PM**

The following night I visited the address Debra gave me. It was an old abandoned industrial building on the 7-Mile Road. This was definitely it, I thought, the building was old yet the lock was relatively new. Someone had been here. I picked the lock.

Nothing out of the ordinary upstairs or on the first floor, so I checked the basement. There I found two distinct rooms. One was empty and I couldn't find anything of interest within it, but other one appeared to be an improvised surgery room. In a corner there was a cabinet with medical supplies including anaesthetics, pain killers and a lot of sharp objects. In the middle was an operating table. There was also a power generator.

There were no signs of any foul play here, at least not until my last dose of Luminol revealed blood all over the floor. I took some samples. I also dusted for fingerprints and found several different ones.

* * *

**6th February 2012  
Detroit Police Department  
1:02 AM**

I took the samples and had them checked at the Detroit Police Department that night. Sneaking in was effortless, pretty routine for me. The samples were a match for some of the victims that I could identify, including Mr. Anderson.

I had found Dr. Danco's hideout.

* * *

**6th February 2012  
Bellinger Industrial Complex, 7-Mile Road, Detroit  
11:22 PM**

The next step was actually identifying and catching Dr. Danco. I spent some time during the day trying to find who might have bought the power generator by looking up the vendors in the area, but it was no use. Of the lists I saw, none of the names rang any bell and Debra wasn't answering her phone. Other vendors simply refused to share any information with strangers, especially ones without identification or a warrant. Another dead end.

I decided to go back to the industrial complex, see if anything had changed. Perhaps the doctor was in tonight. And I was right. The silver car was there. I put on a pair of gloves, prepared my tranquilizer and snuck inside.

Down in the corridors of the basement I noticed a short chubby man walking towards the improvised surgery room with a suitcase. This had to be him and he was mine now. I walked slowly towards him. He noticed me at the last second and tried to defend himself but it was too late. One sting of my tranquilizer and he was out cold. I began dragging his body, he was a heavy one. Little did I know, someone else had arrived at the scene.

Pelle Cophs!

**Agent Cophs:** "End of the line, Mr. Morgan! Let go of the body!" he said. I complied. What other choice did I have? "Dexter Morgan, what a surprise. You know what they say, you can run on for a long time... You are under arrest for the Bay Harbor murders, and... it looks like I caught two birds with one stone tonight. I should get a promotion, shouldn't I?" I didn't respond to that. He came up to me to handcuff me.  
**Dexter:** "Listen, you have the wrong ide..." then the unexpected happened, he punched me to the ground. I blacked out.  
**Agent Cophs:** "So do you Mr. Morgan, so do you..."

This was more than just police brutality...


	16. Remember the Monsters?

**Bellinger Industrial Complex, 7-Mile Road, Detroit  
Time Stamp: Unknown**

**Debra:** "Dex?" I heard my sister call out.

I had just woken up. I opened my eyes to find myself strapped to a table in a large, bright-lit room. Deb was on another table to my right, also immobilized.

Multiple photos were taped to the wall. I immediately recognized most of them. Almost all the people I had killed over the years or sent to their graves indirectly. Arthur Mitchell was there. So were Isaak Sirko, Victor Baskov, Jordan Chase, officer Zoey Kruger and... Miguel Prado? How could anyone...? I also noticed pictures of Lila West, Sergeant James Doakes, Maria LaGuerta, Mike Donovan, Ray Speltzer and... Rita...? No!

Those were just the few that stood out. There were many many more. Apparently indirect victims counted in Dr. Danco's MO, but otherwise the room mimicked what my own kill room would look like.

The chubby man was situated to my left on another table, duct tape covering his mouth. Agent Cophs was observing all three of us.

**Agent Cophs:** "I had to tape him, to stop the screaming, so we could talk of course. I don't mind people screaming." he smiled.  
**Debra:** "Holy mother of fuck! Let us go!" she yelled at Cophs but Cophs came over and taped her mouth as her.  
**Agent Cophs:** "Now, then. Guess you weren't expecting this, Dexter Morgan. Do you see them?" he said switching to a more serious tone, pointing to the pictures up on the wall. "Do you remember the monsters?" he asked. "How about... the innocent lives you've destroyed? Your wife... Your co-workers... remember them?"  
**Dexter:** "I have a pretty good memory. You're Dr. Danco?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "In the flesh. No pun intended."  
**Dexter:** "Then who is...?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Our chubby guest here? Mr. James F. Clammers? Oh, he's a very bad man, rest assured. You should have opened his suitcase to see for yourself."

Cophs opened the suitcase. Drugs.

**Agent Cophs:** "He couldn't resist a drug deal. That's not why he's here though. See this picture?" he said as he took one down from the wall.

This one was definitely not my doing. It appeared to be a mother and two kids. Kids... I would never...

**Agent Cophs:** "That is why he is here. Everyone else in this room though? Their blood is on your hands, Dexter Morgan. Or should I say, Bay Harbor Butcher? Now, time to prepare for the operation." he said as he subdued Clammers and dragged him to a separate room.

For the next 10 hours he 'worked' on him. Every once in a while we heard screaming. This was deliberate. He had removed the duct tape to feed off his agony. At some point the screaming stopped.

Later, Cophs emerged. Clammers was bandaged, sedated and in a wheelchair with all of his non-vital parts missing.

**Agent Cophs:** "Your turn, Dexter Morgan."  
**Dexter:** "How did you figure me out?" I was curious to know.  
**Agent Cophs:** "Well, aside from the fact that no crime is perfect and you made a lot of mistakes I eventually picked up on, at first I just suspected you of being a lowly accomplice of James Doakes."  
**Dexter:** "And how did you figure out that was bullshit?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "I realized you had a history of framing people and didn't really function too well with a partner. Miguel Prado, rings any bell? And who else could make an entire department believe even for one second that Stan Beaudry was the real Trinity? Oh by the way, I know you killed Stan too. Found him also at the bottom of the ocean."  
**Dexter:** "How do you know I killed Miguel Prado?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Well, I can't definitively prove it but thank you for your confession, let's just say it all fell into place better than the Skinner theory. Plus Ramon seemed to think you had something to do with it... too many coincidences."  
**Dexter:** "So what about Dunmire?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "He definitely killed Chapman, but I know you set him up. The stab wounds on the chest were multiple and random. The real Bay Harbor Butcher only stabs once in the heart, if he stabs at all. Guess you didn't think I'd notice that small detail."  
**Dexter:** "Anything else?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Photographic evidence of you dumping garbage bags in the ocean with Lumen, oh yes, I know about Stan Liddy's murder too, Lumen's testimony of you killing Jordan Chase, Jonah Mitchell's testimony of you killing Arthur Mitchell, an ocean floor filled with dead bodies, most of them wrapped in the same garbage bags, and of course Hannah McKay's recent testimony. Oh, and Joe Walker's death on top of that. He disappeared the night of your high school reunion. You and him went to the same high school. No way Dunmire could have killed him. I also know you were looking into Zoey Kruger's personal files right before she disappeared. It's all logged."  
**Dexter:** "I see... What's the point in all of this? We're both the same. We catch killers."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Oh, but I do not kill them. I punish them."  
**Dexter:** "You severely shorten their lifespan."  
**Agent Cophs:** "That is none of my concern. God will punish them at his discretion, if you believe that sort of thing that is."  
**Dexter:** "I don't believe in a higher power."  
**Agent Cophs:** "How convenient, neither do I. But I believe in the Christian version of eternal punishment. The concept, not the firey place of course. The fate that's worse than death. This is the closest to an earthly Hell as I can create it. Death is an easy way out."  
**Dexter:** "Just admit it, you cannot claim any high moral ground."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Really? Well, I suppose that we both share the same creator, Dexter Morgan."  
**Dexter:** "What are you talking about, Agent Cophs?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Tell me, Dexter. What made you so different from your brother Brian? Why did you only go after other killers?"  
**Dexter:** "I was following a code. A code that my father, Harry Morgan, taught me. He knew I had these urges and taught me to channel them rather than suppress them."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Let me guess, Morgan? Rule number one: Don't get caught."

How did he know?

**Dexter:** "What? How do you know?"I ask.  
**Agent Cophs:** "Rule number two: Never kill an innocent."  
**Dexter:** "How do you know?" I yelled.

How can he possibly know? Only me and my father know the rules.

**Agent Cophs:** "Never make a scene. Fake emotion and normality to fit in. When taking any psychologal test, always answer the questions with the opposite of what you really feel."  
**Dexter:** "Tell me!"

Agent Cophs help up a book from the early 80's written by someone called Dr. Evelyn Vogel, 'The Mind of a Psychopath'.

**Dexter:** "Yeah, I've read that one before. What about it?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Look closely, Dexter Morgan. This is a rare special edition and contains an additional chapter called 'The Noble Psychopath'. Dr. Evelyn Vogel had a theory, that psychopaths could be successfully conditioned to become vigilantes. She believed psychopaths were an essential part of mankind, that they had been useful through the ages in helping mankind survive and that they could become useful again rather than a liability. This is what ultimately made you. I adopted the code myself, with some slight modifications. Ones that you will experience first hand shortly."  
**Dexter:** "I never knew that. All I knew was that which my father taught me."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Your father met with Dr. Vogel over 30 years ago."  
**Dexter:** "How do you know?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "I've interviewed her. Oh and I believe these are yours." he said as he showed me some old drawings of crudely portrayed people holding bloody knives and killing other people. Drawings signed 'Dexter'. I remembered them from when I was 6.

Then I also remembered...

_**Harry Morgan:**__ "But even though you don't remember, Dexter, it did things to you. Those things make you what you are. I've talked to some people about this."_

My father had talked to people about my condition. Vogel!

_**Agent Cophs:**__ "Dr. Vogel, why did you not come forward with this information earlier?"  
__**Dr. Evelyn Vogel:**__ "I didn't think it would come to this. I thought that the real Butcher had been captured. And I must admit it, I don't regret so much that the killings continued as much as the fact that innocents had to die. The shaping of the Bay Harbor Butcher, I've come to understand, has been the biggest mistake of my life."_

He walked out of the room to get some tools.

**Dexter:** "Deb, we don't have much time, we need to break free." I said, but it was no use. There was nothing we could do.

_In that dark moment of intense stress some of the photos appeared to take life and the people in them materialize before me. Brian, Doakes, Lila, Miguel Prado, Trinity, Rita, Jordan Chase, Travis Marshall, LaGuerta, Jonathan Farrow, Walter Monroe and Isaak Sirko. It seemed as though they were all here, watching me. Sergeant Doakes spoke first._

_**Doakes:** "Surprise, motherfucker! Bet you weren't expecting to see us again, huh?"_  
_**Jordan Chase:** "Agony awaits. Can you 'take it'?"_  
_**Brian:** "You fucked up big time, little bro! You should have listened me. I could have set you free."_  
_**Doakes:** "Fuck that! You should have listen to me. I told you this was no path to take. I told you that you would hurt your loves ones sooner or later. You should have turned yourself in when you had the chance."_  
_**Miguel Prado:** "You did this to yourself, Dexter." Miguel said with contempt. He refused to say anything else._  
_**Arthur Mitchell:** "I told you, boy, you can't control that urge inside of you. It's time to stop seeking the earthly paradise you so desperately dream of, life is full of hardship and suffering. Deliverance can only be attained in the next life."_  
_**Jordan Chase:** "Tick tock, Dex. That's the sound of your life running out."_  
_**Jonathan Farrow:** "I was bloody innocent, remember? Bloody innocent!"_  
_**LaGuerta:** "Of all the people you've hurt I feel sorry for your wife the most, Dexter. You've destroyed everyone around you."_  
_**Isaak Sirko:** "If Trinity hadn't killed Rita, I would have instead." he said as he winked at me. "This is a dangerous game to be playing as an aspiring family man. You still haven't learned that." he said in his sophisticated British accent, despite his Ukrainian origins._  
_**Travis Marshall:** "This is retribution, spawn of Satan! On this day, God will cut you down!" he screamed like a lunatic._  
_**Lila:** "We should have ran away together."_  
_**Walter Monroe:** "Never jump the fence if you're not willing to face what's on the other side." Doakes looked at him._  
_**Doakes:** "Christ, Morgan! You killed that guy too? How's anyone supposed to take you seriously when you sabotage police investigations?"_

_Rita didn't speak. She just looked at me with disappointment._

_**Dexter:** "Rita?"_  
_**Rita:** "It all makes sense now. All that secrecy... All those nights away from home... Why didn't you tell me what you are?"_  
_**Dexter:** "Rita. I..."_  
_**Rita:** "I am dead because of you. Arthur told me everything before he murdered me. There's nothing honorable about your code. You are just a liar and a murderer."_  
_**Dexter:** "I know."_  
_**Rita:** "Did you even love me? Are you capable of love?"_  
_**Harry Morgan:** "Dexter, stop! Snap out of it!"_  
_**Dexter:** "Dad?"_  
_**Harry Morgan:** "None of us are here, Dexter. And you're not insane either. We are all just constructs in your mind. Mere manifestations of the conflicting thoughts and doubts within your mind. And it's time to get back into the real world. It's either you or Cophs. Focus!" he said as everyone faded away._

Cophs came back and subdued me with a small dose of M-99.

**Agent Cophs:** "Come to think of it, it's fitting that Debra also watch as I tear you limb from limb."

Me and Deb woke up 10 minutes later in the surgery room, strapped to chairs.

**Agent Cophs:** "No, no, I will operate on you both at the same time as you watch."  
**Dexter:** "Let her go, it's me you want."  
**Agent Cophs:** "You think I do not know about her involvement in the murder of Maria LaGuerta? Oh yes, in fact I know she pulled the trigger. I know how sorry she feels, you see, I've been watching her. I caught her a few days ago begging for forgiveness at LaGuerta's memorial stone. That and, well, it was definitely a gun used by law enforcement that killed LaGuerta."  
**Dexter:** "We're both psychopaths you know that. What's the point in hurting me when we both follow a code?"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Really, Morgan? You did what you wanted. You were taught not to make a scene, you made plenty of scenes. You got involved in a long-term relationship against the rules of the code, you didn't deal with Trinity in time, you killed innocents to cover your activities..."

As he went on and on about my violations of the code, I noticed that Debra had freed one hand. She reached for a scalpel and cut herself free, while she signaled me not to make a sound.

**Agent Cophs:** "LaGuerta is dead because of you. So is Rita. Their blood is on your hands. My hands? They're clean. I've done this for years myself and not once have I let an innocent person die. Goodbye, Dexter Morgan."

At that moment, Debra hit Cophs over the head with a heavy object, disorienting him then freed me. We tied him up fast, he quickly regained his senses. He was no longer a threat.

**Debra:** "Put him out of his misery, Dex!"  
**Agent Cophs:** "Look at you, Morgan." he said in a mocking tone. "You think this is over? The cycle is just repeating. Just like it did with Doakes. Just like it did with Stan Liddy. Just like it did with LaGuerta. How many people do you think you can successfully get rid of before someone catches on? Killing me solves nothing... Nothing! You think you can get away with killing a federal agent? More will come. The investigation will be escalated. You delay the inevitable! One day... they will get you!"  
**Dexter:** "Which is why I had something else in mind... I'm not going to kill you."  
**Agent Cophs:** "Go ahead, report me, nobody will believe you and you'll just incriminate yourself as the Bay Harbor Butcher."  
**Dexter:** "Wrong! I'm going to send you to 'Hell'."  
**Agent Cophs:** "What? You wouldn't dare! No..."


	17. The Loose End

**Two weeks later...  
FBI Safehouse, Undisclosed Location**

**Agent Jameson:** "Miss McKay? Your transport has arrived."  
**Hannah:** "Thank goodness, finally."

Hannah walked out and got into the vehicle that the FBI had sent for her, a black sedan.

**Hannah:** "So, where are we moving his time? And when is Agent Pelle Cophs going to contact me?"

Unbeknownst to Hannah, Debra was actually the one driving the car. We had figured out where Hannah was holed up and hijacked one of the FBI's vehicles to get to her. It was dark however and she couldn't see the face the driver.

**Hannah:** "Are you dead over there? I asked a question."  
**Debra:** "No, but you will be soon."  
**Hannah:** "What?" she asked as the trunk opened and Dexter emerged with an M-99, subduing her instantly.

She woke up, strapped to Dexter's kill table. As before she showed no signs of remorse, or fear, or anything. Just an ice cold look...

**Hannah:** "So we're back to square one?"  
**Dexter:** "Guess so..."

There was a silence for about 30 seconds.

**Hannah:** "What? Are you waiting for a speech or something? Do what you gotta do!" as before, no fear at all.

At that moment, Debra appeared out of nowhere with a gun at her. Hannah facial expression suddenly changed. The sight of Debra somehow put fear back into her.

**Debra:** "I told you I'd gun you down if you ever hurt us again, you manipulative bitch!" she said as she pulled the trigger. It was over. Hannah McKay was finally gone for good. "Let's go home, Dexter." she said. "And let's try to rebuild our lives... if we still can. Fuck what a mess!"


	18. Morgan's Legacy

**6 Months Later...  
Washington DC**

**Supervisor Grant:** "We're gathered here today to honor the memory of Special Agent Pelle Cophs. He was one of our top agents in the Bureau, he joined us at the age of 25 and worked with us for over 15 years. A patriot and a dedicated crime fighter, during his last months with the Bureau, he worked hard to catch the sadistic Dr. Danco, to expose the crazed Harold Dunmire, associate of the murderous butcher James Doakes, and to finally bring closure to over 300 murder victims nationwide, by finally confirming the death of the heinous creature Arthur Mitchell. Great were his deeds, unthinkable was his fate. In the end, he became a target of Dr. Danco himself, as he was getting close to the truth, and was forced to retire from the Bureau. Three days ago he died from medical complications resulting from the indignities he had suffered at the hands of Dr. Danco. But make no mistake. We have assigned new agents to this case and we are working tirelessly to expose and bring Dr. Danco to justice! We will stay the course!"

In the end everything turned out okay. The Bay Harbor Butcher case was closed for good. Sorry, James Doakes, you would forever go down in history as the Bay Harbor Butcher. Harold Dunmire got life. Under pressure, he had confessed to all my murders as part of a plea bargain to avoid the chair. The new agents on the case bought it. Agent Cophs was out of our lives forever and I had managed to destroy all the evidence he had on me, the photo with me and Lumen, the drawing, everything.

Harrison was safe. When Cophs kidnapped Debra he made sure Harrison stayed with Jamie.

Hannah was dead. Lumen and Jonah were no longer ready to testify against me with Cophs' retirement.

And I was no longer under suspension. Captain Matthews even apologized for doubting me.

Well, almost okay. Debra was gone. She was out of my life for good this time. She was not answering me or returning my calls or e-mails. Debra retired from the force, unable to live with the guilt of killing LaGuerta but moved to California to become a private investigator for an insurance company.

And me... well... I can't change me.

* * *

_It was a quiet night in Los Angeles, California. Sally Green was happy, she had just stumbled unto a huge pile of money. As she headed for her new apartment she felt a sting in her neck and quickly lost consciousness. She woke up in a dark room at an unknown location, wrapped in plastic._

_**Debra:** "Hello, Sally." terror filled Sally's eyes._  
_**Sally:** "Wha... what do you want from me? Who are you?"_  
_**Debra:** "You. I know what you did, Sally. You burned down your own home to collect on the insurance. Three people are dead because of you. Your mother, your husband, your little girl... And now it's time to pay." she whispered in her hear._  
_**Sally:** "I... needed the money. You have no right to be doing this."_  
_**Debra:** "I don't... but try to stop me!" she said and she stabbed her in the heart._

_Later, Debra dumped her remains far out into the ocean. The next day, she donated Sally's money to various charities dedicated to providing for the families of law enforcement officers fallen in the line of duty. "Forgive me, Maria. I shot the wrong person in that container that night." she thought._

* * *

**27th July 2012  
Miami City  
7:53 PM**

As I was walking down the street a black limousine pulled up beside me. A man in a suit got out and said, while revealing a gun in his left hand.

**Man:** "Mr. Morgan. Get in please. Someone would like to have a word with you."

I hesitated. I didn't know how to react.

**Man:** "Now." he insisted.  
**Dexter:** "Okay." I said.

We drove off. Inside I came face to face with another man in a suit.

**Barnes:** "Well, well, Mr. Morgan. Or should I say, the Bay Harbor Butcher. We finally get the chance to sit down and have a chat." he said.  
**Dexter:** "I don't know what you're talking about." I feigned ignorance.  
**Barnes:** "Please, spare me your excuses. My name is William Barnes, Homeland Security. I've known of your activities for years. Do not worry. Most of the information I have on you would be inadmissible in a court of law."  
**Dexter:** "Why am I here?"  
**Barnes:** "I've always had a fascination with people like you, those who survive against all odds."  
**Dexter:** "Go on. What do you want from me?"  
**Barnes:** "There are people within our borders who are a threat to us beyond a couple of murders. I've come to offer you a job."

**The End**


	19. Author's Closing Notes

**Author's Closing Notes**

Don't forget to read the sequel "That We Might Remember" which is also up on this website. This sequel will be set 20 years after this ending.

s/9615878/1/That-We-Might-Remember


End file.
